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10 Little-Known Facts About CBD

A list of ten fun facts about CBD you probably don’t already know!

When you Google “Fun Facts About CBD,” you’ll likely find a series of articles stating a list of facts about CBD that you already know (that was the case for me, at least). 

But fear not: we’ve scoured the face of the planet (read: internet) for some of the most interesting, little-known facts about CBD!

Let’s get into our findings!

1. All organisms on Earth, except for insects and protozoa, have endocannabinoid systems!

What the heck does this mean? The bottom line is that all creatures, besides insects and some single-celled organisms, can be affected by cannabinoids like CBD!

Essentially, your endocannabinoid system (ECS) has numerous functions throughout your body, but its chief responsibility is achieving homeostasis (self-regulation). Everything from your mood, memory, pain responses, ability to learn, appetite, immune responses, and even sleep are governed by your ECS!

Your ECS is marked by a complex map of specialised receptors and enzymes located throughout your body, and you naturally produce your own endocannabinoids to work within this system. Cool, right? 

Interestingly, scientists aren’t entirely sure how CBD functions within the ECS at the moment, as it doesn’t directly bind to any known receptors in the way that other cannabinoids (like THC) do. Many researchers believe that CBD works by preventing your naturally-occurring endocannabinoids from breaking down, thus making them more effective in achieving homeostasis.

Endocannabinoid systems can be found in nearly all organisms, meaning that even your furry friends will react to CBD! Even more interesting, domestic animals like cats and dogs have much more complex endocannabinoid systems with far more receptors and enzymes than we do, making them that much more receptive to cannabinoids than us!

This is one of the more interesting facts about CBD when you consider what it means for animal research and medicine: now that we know that so many animals have the same type of ECS as we do (and their systems function very similarly to ours), there’s bound to be more research on CBD in animal models in the near future.

CBD can counteract the negative effects of coffee!

2. CBD can counteract the negative effects of coffee!

One of my favourite little-known facts about CBD is its ability to work alongside other compounds—like caffeine, for example. 

For a lot of people, mornings run on coffee. 

Still, while coffee has a number of known benefits—namely, increased alertness, wakefulness, and attention—it also has a few negative effects, like heightened anxiety, increased heart rate, and agitation. If you’re the kind of person who drinks multiple cups a day, you’ve likely felt these effects before. 

Taking a CBD supplement or vaping a CBD E-Liquid alongside your morning cup of coffee can help counteract the negative effects of caffeine while supporting its benefits. Because of CBD’s calming effect and anti-anxiety properties, taking CBD with your morning coffee can really help boost your mornings if you’re feeling restless after your morning coffee. 

And because CBD is known to help increase alertness and focus, the two working in tandem can provide a focus boost like no other. 

It’s no wonder so many coffee drinkers have begun mixing CBD Tinctures into their morning cup of joe. 

3. CBD has been shown in research studies to have cancer-fighting properties!

One of the lesser-known facts about CBD is its possible use in fighting cancer growth.

While medical studies about CBD are currently scarce and inconsistent, there’s promising evidence that CBD and other cannabinoids could be a huge factor in how we treat cancer and tumours in the future.

Researchers are calling for more studies on the use of CBD in cancer treatment after a notable case regarding an 80 year-old smoker who had COPD and a range of other health conditions. The woman was diagnosed with a tumour in her lungs, and, against her doctors’ wishes, she refused treatment and instead decided to self-medicate with CBD oil. In less than two years, without the help of any cancer treatments (and while she continued to smoke, no less), the woman’s tumour reduced in size by 76%

Now, this isn’t conclusive proof, by any means—there’s no way of knowing what dosage or which ingredients in the CBD oil made the difference, and this is only one case. We never recommend forgoing any medical treatment to attempt self-medicating with CBD. Still, research is ongoing into CBD’s ability to treat cancer and tumours. 

Currently, CBD shows promise in clinical trials, as it has shown an ability to inhibit cancer cell growth in test tubes and animal models. But of course, we’ll need more data before any real claims can be made.

Your tolerance to CBD won’t grow with time—in fact, it can actually decrease!

4. Your tolerance to CBD won’t grow with time—in fact, it can actually decrease!

This is one of my all-time favourite facts about CBD. While it’s well-known that regular cannabis users will develop a tolerance over time, the same can’t be said for CBD users. This all comes back to your ECS.

As mentioned in our first point, CBD doesn’t directly bind to the endocannabinoid receptors in our bodies in the way that other cannabinoids (like THC) do. While THC—the intoxicating component of cannabis—may bind to your body’s endocannabinoid receptors and desensitise them over time, CBD doesn’t bind to these receptors, so they don’t become “tolerant” to the CBD.

This is why scientists say that you won’t really develop a tolerance to CBD like you would to other cannabinoids. 

In fact, some researchers suggest that the opposite might even happen: that regular CBD users may actually have to decrease their dose over time! Scientists aren’t currently sure why this happens, but some studies suggest that it may have something to do with your body’s GABA and NMDA receptors. 

As is the case with much of the field surrounding cannabinoids, more research is needed to prove why this happens. 

5. CBD may be used in the future to help prevent and treat COVID-19!

This is a very recent development, but is still one of the most fascinating facts about CBD nonetheless. As usual, more research is needed before any real claims can be made, but scientists recently found that certain lab preparations of CBD can be helpful in preventing COVID infections!

No matter how much some people want this fact to be true, smoking cannabis will not prevent or treat COVID-19. However, researchers have found that specific preparations of CBD taken in particular doses can help lessen the severity of COVID-19 symptoms, impede the spread of the virus, and even prevent the infection permeating human cells. Yes, human cells—not animals or test tubes!

There is a misconception spreading that the CBD products that we sell, for example, can help against COVID-19—and there are even worse assumptions that CBD can be used in place of masking and vaccines. This simply isn’t the case, and the scientists involved have implored readers not to misconstrue the evidence.

The researchers were quick to emphasise that over-the-counter CBD products are unlikely to make a difference for the average person, as they don’t provide enough CBD in the correct preparation to do much in the fight against COVID-19 infection. 

You have to remember that these lab-controlled studies use incredibly pure, high-strength CBD—beyond anything currently available to consumers on the market—in a heavily purified lab-created formula. Unfortunately, the CBD used in the study likely won’t be made available to consumers any time soon.

Still, what this does mean is that scientists now have new avenues to pursue in the fight against COVID-19, and we’re so glad to hear that CBD is helping in that fight!

Hemp Seed Oil and CBD Oil aren’t the same thing!

6. Hemp Seed Oil and CBD Oil aren’t the same thing!

This is one of the more oft-reported facts about CBD, yet it’s often misunderstood by consumers.

While both are derived from the same plant, hemp seed oil and CBD oil differ in a lot of important ways. Chiefly, hemp seed oil is used in skincare and food products for its rich nutrient and vitamin profile, while CBD oil is used for its health benefits.

Hemp seed oil doesn’t contain CBD (or any cannabinoids at all, rather), but it has a whole host of other nutritional benefits. Hemp seed oil is high in Omega-6 and Omega-3 fats, which are two types of “good fats” (otherwise known as unsaturated fats) that are known to contribute to heart health and a balanced diet. 

Hemp seed oil is also often used in skincare, as it’s believed to have anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, hemp seeds have a significant amount of iron (20% of your recommended daily diet), which helps prevent anaemia. 

CBD oil, on the other hand, is used not for its nutritional value, but for its purported health benefits. CBD oil contains CBD—and sometimes other cannabinoids, depending on the type of product being used—and is taken for a variety of reasons, from chronic pain to anxiety to PTSD to seizures. 

Scientists are still working to understand the full scope of CBD’s health benefits, and the only current licensed use of CBD in medicine is for certain rare types of epilepsy. Research is ongoing, but anecdotal evidence supports the use of CBD for a wide range of afflictions.

7. You can benefit from CBD even if you’re perfectly healthy!

Let’s be honest, though—who’s “perfectly healthy” nowadays anyway?

One of the lesser-known facts about CBD is that it can be helpful to you even if you’re not suffering any major life-disrupting ailments. 

As we mentioned before, your ECS helps to maintain homeostasis in your body—a constant struggle, given the stresses and obstacles we endure on a daily basis and how often we put things into our body. Taking CBD in any form, even when you’re healthy, can help support your body’s natural defence mechanisms, like your immune system, organ function, muscle formation, and more. 

In truth, maintaining homeostasis is constant work for our bodies. We have a slew of internal mechanisms and routines which help keep our insides stable, and one of the primary drivers of this is your ECS. Supporting your ECS with supplemental CBD can help support your body’s ability to self-regulate.

CBD works best with other cannabinoids!

8. CBD works best with other cannabinoids!

In the world of pharmacology, most medications contain a single chemical compound to treat or manage health conditions. Interestingly enough, researchers have found that this strategy doesn’t quite work as well with natural compounds like CBD. 

While we don’t currently have the science to understand why, CBD works best alongside other cannabinoids, like in the case of “Full-Spectrum” or “Broad Spectrum” CBD. This is referred to as the “Entourage Effect.” When cannabinoids like CBD are combined with other elements like terpenes and flavonoids, their effects are significantly greater.

Terpenes are a type of chemical compound found in many plants, known to give plants their aromatic fragrance. They’re responsible for the pungent smell of the cannabis plant, but they’re also responsible for the smell we associate with lavender (fun fact: about 80% of the hygiene products in your bathroom contain lavender terpenes!).

For more information on terpenes, check out our other article: CBD Terpenes: What Are They & How Do They Work?

Flavonoids, on the other hand, are a group of phytonutrients found throughout the plant kingdom, and they serve as cell messengers. They also produce pigment in plants. So, you can thank flavonoids for blueberries’ name and for the verdance of the grass—but scientists have also recognised health benefits associated with flavonoids, like decreased risk of heart disease.

Thus, taking CBD in its purest form will actually result in a lesser effect compared to taking a Full-Spectrum or Broad Spectrum CBD. This is because the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids in these formulas work together to boost the benefits of one another. 

9. CBD can be used on pets!

You might’ve heard this one, but it’s one of the more interesting facts about CBD. 

The first time my mom gave CBD to our rescue dog, I thought she was nuts.

Then, I read further into it. Sure enough, the issue our dog suffers from—post-traumatic anxiety—is one of many canine ailments that can be treated with CBD. Now, whenever there’s an unavoidable event (like fireworks or a vet visit) that’s bound to make her feel anxious, we give her a little CBD to help ease her stress. 

The effects are actually noticeable: her tail emerges from between her legs, her panting is less laboured, and her heart rate doesn’t skyrocket as it usually would. She’s notably calmer, less agitated, and more relaxed. 

And it’s not just dogs, either—CBD can benefit all sorts of domestic animals, including cats and even horses!

It’s important to note here that these claims are purely anecdotal, as there isn’t currently enough scientific evidence to support the use of CBD in pets as a medicinal product. As always, you should most definitely consult with your veterinarian before giving any new substance to your pet. 

Cannabis has been used medicinally since at least 100 AD!

10. Cannabis has been used medicinally since at least 100 AD!

Okay, you may have heard this one before, but it’s worth repeating. Perhaps one of the coolest facts about CBD is that it’s been used medicinally for almost 2000 years by many different cultures across the globe.

Dating back to ancient Chinese civilisations, hemp seed was prolific and was often used in food, which led to it being used in medicine. One surgeon from around that time reportedly mixed cannabis with wine and administered it as an anaesthetic prior to surgery. In fact, cannabis is listed among the 50 “fundamental” herbs in traditional Chinese medicine, used to treat over 120 different ailments, including premenstrual symptoms, vomiting, constipation, and infections. 

In ancient India, cannabis use was very prevalent (in both religious and medicinal practices), and it was often administered for a variety of ailments. For example, it was regularly given to women to help with the pain of childbirth. 

The Ancient Greeks were known to use cannabis to dress wounds and stop nosebleeds, and medical practitioners often used cannabis seeds to make tea, which would then be given to patients suffering from pain and inflammation of the ear.

Cannabis was even used in the mediaeval Islamic world by Arabic physicians for vomiting, epilepsy, pain, inflammation, and fever, and was used extensively until the 18th century!

What’s most interesting about this fact is that all of these cultures used cannabis similarly—using it to treat the same types of conditions—and we now know why: modern science has proven cannabis’ ability to treat pain, inflammation, vomiting, seizures, and more, though we don’t yet understand the mechanisms behind these properties. 

It’s fascinating to see how ancient forms of medicine made use of a prolific plant that we haven’t even begun to research properly with our modern-day tools. 

Conclusion

There you have it: 10 fun facts about CBD you probably didn’t already know! CBD is fascinating, and there’s still so much we don’t yet understand about how it works.

More research will be needed before we can fully understand the scope of CBD’s benefits and effects. 

As always, we’d like to remind you that CBD is not approved as a medicinal product, and none of the products we sell are intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical conditions or diseases. This article is not a substitute for medical advice; your first point of contact should always be your GP. 

Written by:
Rachel Domanchich
Rachel Domanchich
A self-proclaimed American Weird Girl in London, Rachel is a 27 year-old content writer who uses CBD on a daily basis to help with mood, stress, and sleep. She loves researching the science behind CBD and translating the jargon into digestible articles for everyone to read. Outside of writing, Rachel is a multi-instrumental musician, singer, wife, and mother of two black cats.

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