The use of CBD oils and other cannabis-related products is something Britons are becoming increasingly familiar with, but many will not be aware why there are so many different ways in which cannabis-based products have been used to treat various ailments.
Writing for BBC Science Focus Magazine, former doctor and health writer Michael Mosley noted that the use of cannabis stretches back to around 2,600 BC in China, where it was being used as a medicine, although he notes that it is also likely it was being used by some at the time in a recreational way too.
This longevity of usage is partly related, he notes, to the vary wide array of areas in which the plant can interact with the human body, as there are more than 500 compounds within it that can connect with ‘cannabinod’ receptors.
“One reason why cannabis has such wide and varying effects is because our bodies are riddled with these receptors, which help regulate sleep, stress, pain, appetite, memory and mood,” he noted.
He went on to note that this has led to a very wide array of uses, everything from its most common uses in pain and stress relief to dog food, chocolate and even shampoo. It may safely be said that some of these uses were not common in ancient China – especially chocolate as they would never have encountered it.
Dr Mosley noted that the expansion in use of cannabis oil in recent years owed much to the high-profile case of a boy who suffered 300 epileptic seizures a day. In 2018, his mother travelled to Canada to obtain cannabis oil legally, but then had it confiscated when she arrived at Heathrow.
He noted that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence responded to this by studying the research and listing a range of areas where it believes the oil is beneficial.
This list, which was most recently updated in March this year, lists four particular areas of recommendation. These are: intractable nausea and vomiting, chronic pain, spasticity and severe treatment-resistant epilepsy.
Dr Mosley added that he was less convinced himself by the use of the oil embedded in products like shampoo, as there is no conclusive research yet that it will have the anti-inflammatory benefits for the scalp that the manufacturers claim.
Nonetheless, it is clear that CBD oil is here to stay in the UK. Earlier this month, the Grantham Journal reported on how Mike and Jackie Lamyman, members of a family that has farmed in the area for four generations, have turned to the growth of hemp to produce CBD oil as the way forward in the 21st century.
They founded their firm in 2019 and the plants grown on the farm produce the raw materials for the CBD oils and teas they sell.
Speaking to the paper, Mr Lamyman said one of the challenges was that few people grow hemp in the UK, so knowledge had to be gleaned from online research. However, he noted, that was not the only one, due to the misconceptions about CBD oil.
He explained: “We have also had to try and educate a lot of people who are not sure about taking it, and also have concerns about its association with cannabis.”
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