More and more people are acknowledging medical cannabis. To appease those cannabis enthusiasts who don’t want the psychoactive effects of THC, however, marijuana cultivators and connoisseurs are consistently innovating CBD products, too.

Cannabidiol or CBD is the non-psychoactive component in cannabis. CBD products are becoming a popular choice for people who prefer a specific type of benefit from their cannabis. On top of that, some consumers prefer the discreet use offered by many CBD products, compared to the conventional method of using marijuana such as joints, bongs, and pipes.

To extract the CBD from a marijuana flower, most methods use a variety of solvents such as ethanol, butane, alcohol, or isopropyl. So when choosing a CBD product, always make sure that the seller is licensed — that way you know the CBD products were prepared following regulations like testing for heavy metals and pesticides.

CBD potency varies depending on the product or strains and the amount of CBD it contains. At almost any potency, however, CBD may offer many life-changing health benefits for men, women, seniors, and even kids. Without further ado, here are some of the top CBD benefits.

1. CBD May help you regulate your mood

Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter responsible for functions like balance, learning, memory, and other physiological processes. But it is also known for contributing to our feelings of elation.

A person’s mood and social behavior can sometimes lead to anxiety and depression. Depression is one of the leading causes of suicide in the United States. Although there are benzodiazepine medications for anxiety and depression, these drugs cause side effects when taken in large doses over an extended period. Experts believe CBD works on this symptom by interacting with the brain’s receptors that produce serotonin. As such, the cannabinoid has a positive impact on mood and social behavior.

2. May help you sleep better

Conditions such as sleep apnea, insomnia, sleep paralysis, and restless leg syndrome are just a few disorders that hinder a good night’s sleep. The CBD in cannabis is an excellent alternative to prescription sleep meds, and may offer patients with sleeping disorders a natural method for deep and sound slumber. While over-the-counter sleeping pills are readily available as well, these drugs can be harmful when taken daily. On the contrary, there are no recounted occurrences of CBD addiction or overdose from patients who use this option for their sleeping issues.

3. CBD may relieve your chronic pain

The human body has an endocannabinoid system (ECS) that helps with many crucial functions in the body, such as regulating sleeping patterns, appetite, and mood, pain tolerance, and immune system response. The ECS also produces various endocannabinoids, which act on two major cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, found all over the body. Since the endocannabinoid system welcomes external cannabinoids as well, CBD from cannabis strains and products is an excellent way to impact the activities of both receptors, thereby reducing inflammation and relieving chronic pain.

4. May improve quality of life for chemo patients

Although some experts say that CBD may have anti-carcinogenic properties, further studies are needed to prove this claim. Many patients smoke marijuana to help alleviate the side effects of chemotherapy, but there are some risks involved in marijuana smoking due to carcinogens; CBD in other forms, however, may help individuals who experience post-chemo symptoms such as pain, nausea, vomiting, and appetite loss. Some chemo patients find pharmaceutical drugs ineffective, leading them to turn to a more natural way of dealing with the symptoms.

5. May lower the risk of heart failure

CBD does an exceptional job of keeping the walls of blood vessels relaxed. This process is called “vasorelaxation.” The process reduces the resting systolic blood pressure when the heart is contracted, preventing patients with heart problems from having life-threatening heart attacks.

Leanne Brooks is an ardent blogger who loves to share innovative ideas on promoting mental and physical health. As an advocate of legalization, she writes about medical and recreational marijuana and its health benefits. She is currently working for the Green Society, one of the leading online dispensaries in Canada, which offers the best quality locally-sourced cannabis from craft cannabis connoisseurs.