CBD: Common Side-Effects

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With more and more countries legalizing the use of marijuana and acknowledging the benefits of medical marijuana, it’s expected for more people to start discovering the benefits of this plant. CBD, as a compound of the plant, has been commercialized now more than ever and for a good reason - it has a ton of benefits for the human body and mind.

Why Is CBD So Popular?

You probably know this by now, but let’s remember a bit: CBD or cannabidiol is a compound of the cannabis plant that has non-psychoactive properties. What this means is that using CBD won’t give you the ‘high’ feeling you’re likely to feel after using THC products.

CBD has more therapeutic properties, it’s relaxing for the mind and the body. It’s an excellent remedy to calm you whenever you feel more anxious or stressed than usual, if you’re having sleeping problems or if your PTSD symptoms have gotten worse. CBD is also used in many skincare products, as it acts as an antioxidant and can help you with multiple skin conditions.

However, as a result of its popularity, it’s easy to dive right in and start using CBD before even acknowledging the fact that maybe CBD has side effects too. It’s important to educate yourself on everything related to CBD - not just the pros, but the cons too - before integrating it into your daily routine.

Let’s explain in detail the common side-effects of CBD.

The Most Common Side-Effects Of CBD

As CBD is still a new product to the market, the FDA still hasn’t approved all CBD products. So far, the only CBD product that’s approved is a prescription drug to treat rare forms of epilepsy. There is still a lot of research to be done regarding the benefits of using CBD and that results in another thing too - less information about the side-effects of CBD too.

However, with the currently available information, we can say with that these are some of the common side-effects you may experience after using CBD:

Dry Mouth

This side-effect is known as a “cottonmouth” and it’s common with all cannabis products, including CBD. People who use CBD products may experience dry mouth due to the cannabinoids found in the plant, that act as an inhibitor of the human saliva.

To prevent this from happening, consume a lot of water before, during, and after the consumption of CBD products.

Low Blood Pressure

If you consume a higher dosage of CBD, you may find yourself more sleepy and lightheaded than usual. That’s because CBD has a tendency to significantly lower your blood pressure.

It’s not a serious side-effect, except in two situations.

The first one is if you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure, so the effect of CBD may intervene with the effect of your pills and it may be a bit of a shock for the body.

The same may happen if you’re diagnosed with low pressure too.

If you’re worried about the potential effects of CBD on your blood pressure, consult with your doctor before using it, make sure you’re safe to consume it.

Drowsiness

One of the most common side-effects of CBD is this one: it can make you more sleepy than usual. Higher doses of any CBD products can make you more fatigued than usual and with it, your overall desire to sleep increases.

A lot of research has to be done on this side-effect but for now, avoid using CBD products before having an important thing: a car drive, a task from your job, or anything else related to being concentrated or wide awake.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea is another potential side-effect of using CBD, but usually, it’s not related to CBD at all.

As such, CBD has gastroprotective properties - it helps with your digestive tract, increases the flow of blood to your stomach and generally, has a positive effect on the digestive system.

But, after the first usage, it’s not uncommon for people to experience diarrhea, and that’s’ usually due to other ingredients in the CBD oil or the manufacturing process.

CBD is mostly used with MCT oil, emu oil, hemp oil, etc, that can irritate the stomach and cause diarrhea to happen. To prevent this, always check the ingredients on the CBD oil, and the CBD concentration - higher CBD concentration may irritate your digestive system as well.

Skin Allergies

CBD has an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin and it can help you treat acne, psoriasis, or dermatitis.

However, it may be the cause for skin allergies to appear - itching or rash over the body where you placed the CBD products. This is not always the case, but if you’re having a strong reaction to CBD skin products, stop using them immediately and consult with your doctor.

Conclusion

Although CBD has a lot of positive effects on the mind and the body, you can experience some negative side-effects while using it. It’s important to know them beforehand and act accordingly in case you experience some of them.