So what’s the difference between cannabis and hemp oil? Many people claim that the psychoactive THC only found in cannabis is more important than CBD which is the active ingredient in Hemp but research shows CBD has clear benefits in health, pain relief and cancer treatment.
Cannabis contains two groups of cannabinoids, namely CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydocannabinol), the latter being known for its psychoactive chemicals, while Hemp contains good levels of CBD but only very small amounts of THC (less than 0.3 per cent). Often people refer to CBD oil; it is hemp.
The confusion starts because both marijuana and hemp are popular names for the cannabis plant and both come from the same plant species, Cannabis Sativa L. However, plants can be cultivated differently and so different ‘strains’ emerge; for example, those being grown tall tend to be ‘industrial hemp’, while the shorter ones that flower are more normally called cannabis, having psychoactive properties.
So, Hemp plants are high in CBD and low in THC. Cannabis, especially the flowers, tends to be higher in THC than CBD.
The confusion worsened with products such as Rick Simpson Hemp Oil. In fact, this is full spectrum cannabis oil. Rick Simpson, a Canadian champion for the health benefits of cannabis, treated his own metastatic skin cancer with a cannabis oil, produced by ‘reducing’ the plant matter in an alcohol solvent. It is known as RSO, or Rick Simpson Oil and he claims to have helped more than 5,000 people beat their various illnesses for free. Rick Simpson’s Oil contains both CBD and THC, with THC being at least 5-60 per cent and CBD being only about 15 per cent. Thus although often described as hemp oil, it is not. It is cannabis oil.
And then there is the opposite - Charlotte’s web ‘cannabis oil’ which in fact is really Hemp oil as it contains less than 0.3 per cent THC, and is technically hemp. It derived its name from Charlotte Figi who took it and experienced a dramatic reduction in seizures when she was just 5 years old. CBD is known to be good at preventing seizures and is therefore used in cases from epilepsy to brain tumours.
Confused? You should be!
So is Hemp as good for health as cannabis?
Actually there are Medical experts who feel that CBD has by far the more powerful ’health enhancing’ set of cannabinoids, although research shows both THC and CBD have health, and particularly anti-cancer, benefits.
In the past 6 months though, there has been research on CBD slowing metastases in ovarian cancer, and another study showing that CBD can block Id-1. Id-1 or ID-1, is a protein which turns cancer into aggressive, metastatic and fatal cancer. It is known to occur incancers such as breast, prostate and Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). CBD turns it off.
Industrial hemp is known for its strong fibre content and can be used to make clothing. From the 1970s, however, in the USA Cannabis Sativa plant cultivation was banned – both cannabis and hemp. But during the Obama presidency, the growing of plants (in whole or in part) where the THC was less than 0.3 per cent became legal. So Hemp was legalised.
Hemp contains benefits other than those of cannabis. The seeds and other parts of the plant find their way into the oil.
The health benefits of Hemp and CBD
The truth about hemp is that CBD does provide many of the medical benefits of cannabis, but without getting you ‘high’. CBD benefits include helping with Epilepsy and Multiple Sclerosis, and helping with sleeping problems, soft tissue pain and injury and fatigue. In 2018, Sullivan University College of Pharmacy in Kentucky showed CBD oil slowed the progression and spread of ovarian cancer.
CBD oil is known to reduce inflammation in the body, and without the side-effects of NSAIDs like aspirin. It increases opioid production and is far less dangerous than the mass market opioid drugs, some frequently criticised for their addictive and damaging effects. CBD also increases serotonin levels in the body, which is why it helps your feel good factor, reducing pain and symptoms of fatigue.
It is also naturally antibacterial – even proving effective against ‘superbugs’.
Hemp health benefits appear to come from its oils – sterols, aliphatic alcohols and linolenic acid. It has strong dermatological lipid and psoriasis activity, and has a powerful effect in lipid metabolism in the body:
* Sterols are known to reduce bad cholesterol, and reduce heart attack risk.
* Aliphatic alcohols stop blood platelets sticking together and again reduce bad cholesterol. It thins the blood and reduces blood clot risk.
* Phytol is an antioxidant with known anticancer benefits.
* Linolenic acid is an omega-3 rich fatty acid that can reduce heart attack risk.
* Tocopherols (natural vitamin Es) are powerful antioxidants known to reduce Alzheimer’s and atherosclerosis.
* Hempseed has good levels of phosphorus and Sulphur apart from the more usual calcium, potassium and magnesium.
CBD, Hemp and cancer
CBD has many well-researched benefits against cancer:
* It inhibits systemic malignant tumours (1)
* It inhibits glioma cell growth (2)
* It inhibits tumour migration in GBM (3)
* It causes programmed cell death in breast cancer cells (4)
* It reduces breast cancer cell proliferation and metastases (5)
* It induces cancer cell death in colorectal and prostate cell lines (6)
* It inhibits lung cancer cell invasion and metastases (7)
There are probably another 1000+ studies. The above are just to give you a feel for what CBD can potentially do!
Taking Hemp or CBD
Many Hemp oils come as a tincture. This can separate in the bottle. So, first, shake the bottle! Next, people use a pipette to put the dose under the tongue. (It doesn’t taste great). The reason for this is that under the tongue, on the gums, or even rectal enemas, see a better absorption into the blood stream that merely swallowing the product.
Other Hemp oils and CBD oils come as ’concentrates’, and people do put a little on their finger or on a spoon and then transfer to their gums. Again, the taste is strong.
The new kid on the block is ’Liposomal Hemp Oil’, which like all liposomal products really does get the maximum dose into the blood stream. And it is simple to use. You swallow it!
The concentration is important. It seems that 60% CBD oils are what you need.
"if you are already thinking of buying CBD or Hemp Oil, you might like to see what Natural Selection has to offer".
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References:
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23544909
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14617682
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27149140
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21566064
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20859676
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22110202
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22198381
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