CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a chemical compound from the Cannabid sativa plant, whish is also known as marijuana or help, according to the US National Library of Medicine.
It’s a naturally occurring substance that’s used in products like oils and edibles to impart a feeling of relaxation and calm. Unlike its cousin, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the major active ingredient in marijuana, CBD is not psychoactive.
Nope. The cannabis plant is made up of two main players: CBD and THC. “CBD is the non-psychoactive portion of the plant, so what that means is you won’t have any effects like euphoria,” says Junella Chin, DO, an osteopathic physician and a medical cannabis expert for cannabisMD. “You won’t feel sedated or altered in any way.”
The only CBD medication that is currently FDA-approved is Epidiolex, which the agency approved last year for the treatment of certain types of epilepsy. But many people swear CBD has helped with a slew of other health conditions, including back pain, osteoarthritis.
CBD might be worth trying to manage symptoms of anxiety. “[CBD] tells your body to calm down and reminds you that you’re safe,” Dr. Chin says. “It mellows out the nervous system so you’re not in a heightened ‘fight or flight’ response,” she says, so people with anxiety may find it helps them feel more relaxed.
CBD products are now legal in South Africa as in many other countries in the world, but there are limitations on the market imposed by the Department of Health.
As long as it contains a maximum daily dose of 20 milligrams of CBD and no more than 0.001% of THC (That’s the stuff that make you high) Second, CBD products can’t claim to cure or treat any specific condition.
They can only advertise broadly about general health enhancement or promise to relieve minor symptoms. On the 8th of May 2020 Health Minister Zwele Mkhize signed into law the new scheduling status for certain Cannabidiol (CBD) containing products. This was gazetted on the 22nd of May seven days after the previous 12-month exemption period for certain CBD products lapsed.
CBD under certain conditions is no longer excluded from the medicines schedules as per the previous year’s framework, and is now a Schedule 0 (zero) human medicine under Category D – Complementary Medicine.
Want to learn more about CBD and what it can do for you? Take a look at Project CBD
