CB1 and CB2).
Some of these other receptors and their functions are
TRPV1 receptors: CBD binds to this transitory receptor known for temperature regulation. It’s also recognized for mediating pain response and perception.
GABA-A receptor: GABA-A binds to neurons to decrease their activity; essentially, it calms them from overactivity that results in fear and anxiety. CBD is shown to change the shape of this receptor, increasing its calming effects on the brain. Preliminary research suggests it may go so far as to act as a sedative.
Serotonin: Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that can directly affect your mood and emotions. When CBD interacts with TRPV1, it in turn can activate serotonin, reducing anxiety and boosting mood while mitigating pain response. Plainly speaking, CBD may relieve chronic anxiety.
Mu opioid receptors: Mu receptors are one of many different types of opioid receptors on nerve cells. They primarily determine how strong of a pain-relieving effect an opioid has. CBD interacts with mu opioid receptors in a way that potentially amplifies the effects of opioids. In other words, CBD may enhance the pain-relieving properties of opioids like morphine.
Dopamine: The dopamine molecule is a feel-good neurotransmitter. It plays a key role in human behavior, affecting goal-directed behavior and learning. CBD increases the quantity of dopamine in your body.
EXPLORING THE ROLE OF ENZYMES
Enzymes are the third key component in understanding how the endocannabinoid system encourages balance. The enzymes are proteins that speed up chemical reactions. They help produce and break down endocannabinoids in the body.
Other enzymes transport ECS-specific proteins. Endocannabinoids are fat-soluble, and the human body is composed primarily of water. Therefore, the endocannabinoids need an enzyme to move them to the area of interest. These enzymes react to periods of imbalance; when the balance is restored, other enzymes break down the endocannabinoids, and business as usual resumes.
Recognizing CBD’s Physical and Mental Effects
Dr. Bradley Alger, one of the most recognized researchers in the endocannabinoid brain sciences, notes that “the endocannabinoids are literally a bridge between body and mind. By understanding the endocannabinoid system, we begin to see a mechanism that could connect brain activity and states of physical health and disease.”
The true nature of CBD and how it can work with the human body is still somewhat unknown (thanks, lack of research), but some of the most affected conditions are seeing some relief with CBD.
CBD is a jack of all trades. Researchers hail it as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, neuroprotective (a fancy word meaning it protects your brain’s neurons), antipsychotic, antimicrobial, and pain reliever.
For reasons ranging from diet to genetics, inflammation is a common human complaint. CBD acts as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant — ramping up the body’s defense system. Oxidation and deterioration are a natural part of the slowing of cell regeneration. CBD has been linked to hampering those effects. It also treats irritation, redness, and bruising.
CBD is hailed as an antipsychotic, regulating mood, thinking, and perception as it interacts with the receptors in the brain. As a neuroprotective, it reduces toxicity from external factors.
In research around neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, the way CBD blocks and disrupts the binding of the molecules that contribute to negative effects may have positive impacts.
In topical circumstances, CBD can fight against bacteria.
Pain management may be one of the most exciting discoveries to date because more than one-third of the U.S. population deals with pain. The limitless applications of CBD as a pain reliever dominate the current research trend.
CBD contributes to increased relaxation by decreasing tension and muscle stress. Better sleep, deeper rest, and diminished anxiety are being reported across a variety of CBD users.
Overall, CBD seems to balance bodily systems, including mood and digestion.
In the skincare realm, increased moisture retention is a lovely effect many users enjoy.
Chapter 4
Extracting, Infusing, and Producing CBD
IN THIS CHAPTER
The hemp cannabis plant in and of itself is valuable for many purposes. It has been providing powerful and positive experiences for humans for centuries. But its rock-star component, CBD, can be tough to isolate. CBD has many versatile uses, but to get a usable concentration of it, you have to extract, isolate, distill, or infuse it. (Well, not you personally, necessarily, but someone does.)
Extraction is the process of separating the plant matter from the other chemical parts. You can essentially consume the plant in its whole form and get good results for many conditions, and in some scenarios, that’s the ideal method of consumption. However, many Americans’ interactions with cannabis center on byproducts. I want to familiarize you with different forms of CBD you may encounter more readily, so in this chapter, I explore the different methods of extracting CBD.
Familiarizing Yourself with Extraction Methods
Extraction likely existed long before humans had a way to record how they did it and why. Over time, the processes have evolved. CBD extraction methods have become more advanced and refined in the same way that human devices for light shifted from campfires to candles to lightbulbs. Some of the methods for home use pale in comparison to the
