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It is no secret that our nation is infatuated with prescription and over-the-counter pills. From hardcore pain medication to the over the counter allergy medication, the United States consumes a crazy number of pills. Not only have we had issues with overprescribing, but it’s impossible to watch a television show without seeing an ad for some new medication. It is no surprise that the addiction rates for Americans are nearly 1 in 7 people. So it came as a shock to many when CBD products could be the answer to helping addiction.
We have now begun to recognize that addiction is a disease that needs to be treated with care. Research and rehab facilities are always looking for alternative methods to treat those suffering from addictive behaviors. The growth of medical marijuana has put many eyes on the cannabinoid, CBD for its effects
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What is Addiction?
The definition of addiction is, “a complex disease, often chronic in nature, which affects the functioning of the brain and body.”
The main thing to pay attention to is the recognition that addiction is a disease and needs to be treated as such. Therefore, we have begun to see more and more rehabilitation centers and programs opening their doors to those suffering from addiction. Cannabinoids, like CBD, have uses beyond helping addiction.
Therapy is the main treatment when it comes to addiction, but as we learn more about cannabis, there may be a natural medication to help block the symptoms and triggers of addiction.
Common Signs of Addiction:
- Severe Loss of Control
- Continued Use Despite Serious Consequences
- Preoccupation with Using
- Failed Attempts to Quit
- Tolerance and Withdrawal
Addiction can cause extreme harm to both your body and your mind. The effects of addiction can cause serious health issues, increase anxiety and stress, and worsen depression. However, the effects of addiction go far beyond what it does to your body. Addictions can ruin relationships with your family, friends, and even workplace. There are many types of addictions in our world today.
One of the main addictions apparent in our society right now is an addiction to opioids. Along with opioid addiction, there are many people suffering from alcohol addiction, nicotine addiction, food addictions, and different drug addictions. The possibility of CBD helping addiction of all variety requires us to take a deeper look.
How Does CBD Help Tame Addictive Behaviors?
There are not a ton of studies published on the direct effects of CBD on the phases of addiction. However, out of the array of published studies that are available, CBD does portray to have some serious potential in the treatment of addictive behaviors. CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, which means there is no euphoric or “high” effect when CBD is ingested. The non-psychoactive effect allows for CBD to be administered in very high dosages without causing any undesired effects. This trait alone shows that CBD is not at risk of being abused, and it may be a good replacement to other reward-facilitating drugs.
A study done back in 2013 shows that “Cannabidiol inhibits the reward-facilitating effect of morphine.” While the study was done with animal trials and not humans, the results found that high dosages of CBD can block the rewarding sensations caused by morphine.
The same study also found that CBD does not reinforce these addictive sensations or replace these rewards, but rather blocks the brains reward mechanisms when ingesting opioids. This shows that CBD has the potential to help patients quit using opioids and relieve withdrawal symptoms.
Look at one of the most common addictions: smoking tobacco.
In a study done with 24 random tobacco smokers, 12 were given an inhaler with a CBD Formulation and 12 were given a placebo inhaler. Each participant was asked to use the inhaler every time they had an urge to smoke a cigarette.
Over the course of one week, those who were administered the inhaler with CBD saw a 40% reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked. It also showed that those who were given the placebo inhaler saw no change. This helps to provide evidence that CBD can help addiction triggers and urges.
Can CBD Help Prevent Addictive Behaviors?
CBD definitely has potentials to help tame symptoms involved with many addictive behaviors, but can it actually help prevent certain people from turning to addiction?
If CBD can help to prevent these disorders, then it can indirectly help reduce the addiction rates in our society. Just out of the patients suffering from PTSD, nearly 50%-66% also suffer from some form of addiction.
A recent study done in 2017, shows that CBD has a direct effect on regulating emotions and our emotional memory processing. Let’s keep using PTSD as an example, those suffering from PTSD typically are the victims of a traumatic event or memory. This memory is classified as a fear memory and its continuous recollection tends to cause the symptoms related to PTSD.
In this study, CBD was found to have the ability to both reduce the intensity of the learned fear and block its memory reconsolidation.
How Does A Person Find CBD?
In the past few years, the CBD sector of the cannabis industry has grown extraordinarily fast, which has resulted in a wide array of different CBD products. With so many different CBD companies and products, it can be hard to decide which is the best for you. Luckily, Zro+ is separating itself from the other companies by providing top-of-the-line CBD products that can be used in a multitude of ways.
Their products use hemp-derived CBD, which means that their products include no THC and can be purchased online! What really separates Zro+ from the competition is how quickly their products work to help relieve pain, anxiety, insomnia, and many other conditions. Zro+ does not only offer CBD that you can take, but they also offer CBD products to help your pet as well! You can learn more about their products in the video below and you can click here to browse their selection of CBD tinctures and products!
It is crazy to think that cannabis has been considered a gateway drug for so long when, in fact, it has the potential to treat and prevent certain drug addictions. From opioids to liquor, addiction is a serious disease that affects the lives of millions. It is about time that we begin researching alternative methods, such as CBD, to get ahead of this epidemic and enhance our rehabilitation programs to prevent and treat addictive behaviors.
Stay informed on all the medical benefits of CBD, here!
