Health Archives - Page 8 of 10 - Kit O'Connell: Approximately 8,000 Words

Science Explains Why CBD Oil Could Help Ease Your Chronic Pain

A graffiti stencil of the silhouette of feminine face in pain. (Morguefile)

February 23, 2017

Science Explains Why CBD Oil Could Help Ease Your Chronic Pain

Posted in Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

If you believe everything you read on the internet, CBD oil can cure almost any disease and replace every painkilling drug. Unfortunately, there’s just too much hype online.

The good news is that, for conditions ranging from epilepsy to chronic pain, CBD oil is an extremely beneficial extract of the cannabis plant that, for some people, can indeed be life-changing.

Psychoactive cannabis, commonly known as marijuana, has been frequently used to relieve the suffering caused by everything from migraines to menstrual cramps. CBD oil has almost no THC, the main mind-altering chemical in cannabis, and therefore offers many of the same benefits without making users “high.”

What Are The Side Effects Of CBD Oil? Here’s What You Need To Know

A farmer harvesting industrial hemp in Australia. June 10, 2011. (Flickr / Tara Jones)

February 5, 2017

Kit

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What Are The Side Effects Of CBD Oil? Here’s What You Need To Know

Posted in Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

With all the attention CBD has been getting, it’s easy to find information on all its benefits — but is there a downside? Does CBD have any side effects?

Even here at Ministry of Hemp, we’ve focused a lot on exploring the benefits of CBD oil and the endocannabinoid system over the past few months. Yet, so much has been written about how CBD is helping people that we wanted to take a look at its potential drawbacks too.

To create this article, we looked at both scientific research and anecdotal reports from CBD users. From our in-depth research, what we found suggests that the side effects of CBD oil are usually minor, and, for most people, the benefits far outweigh the rare reports of discomfort.

It’s worth noting that even psychoactive cannabis — what’s often called marijuana — is also considered to be extremely safe, contrary to what the government wants us to believe . It’s so safe that it’s basically impossible for an adult human to ingest a fatal dose, although they can certainly make themselves feel very sick from eating or smoking too much. There’s every reason to believe that CBD extracts from hemp plants are as safe, or even safer, than psychoactive strains of cannabis.

DEA Threatens Legal CBD Oil, Trump’s Anti-Peace Ambassador To Israel (Black Tower Radio Interview)

A dense cluster of hemp plants. December 23, 2003. (Flickr / Edward the Bonobo, CC NC ND)

January 5, 2017

Kit

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DEA Threatens Legal CBD Oil, Trump’s Anti-Peace Ambassador To Israel (Black Tower Radio Interview)

Posted in Audio, Journalism, and MintPress News

Despite widespread misinformation, the Drug Enforcement Agency hasn’t made CBD oil illegal, yet. And, thanks to multiple protections passed by Congress, it’s unlikely that they can simply make CBD products disappear. Even so, the misinformation created by a recent administrative move by the agency to reclassify CBD created a lot of needless fear. At the very least, the DEA can expect to face serious legal action if they attempt to ban CBD.

I also recently covered Donald Trump’s decision to appoint his bankruptcy lawyer, David Friedman, as the next U.S. ambassador to Israel. Friedman is openly supportive of Israel’s illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza, which underwent record growth in 2016. While the president-elect often surrounds himself with anti-Semites, he’s also selected numerous cabinet members and advisers who supports a far-right, anti-peace view on Israel and Palestine.

The DEA Isn’t Making CBD Oil Illegal — Yet

A close-up photo of a collection of hemp seeds. March 5, 2012. (Flickr / Emma Cooper, CC NC)

December 28, 2016

Kit

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The DEA Isn’t Making CBD Oil Illegal — Yet

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

An administrative change by the Drug Enforcement Administration has left users of CBD oil, a popular tincture derived from agricultural hemp, fearful that they could lose access to this vital health remedy.

CBD oil is currently considered legal in all 50 states, and agricultural hemp, a non-psychoactive variety of the cannabis plant from which CBD oil is extracted, is legally grown in many states. While scientific research into its benefits is just beginning, preliminary results show that CBD oil can benefit conditions ranging from epilepsy to chronic pain.

But on Dec. 14, the DEA added a notice to the Federal Register that quietly informed the public that it had established “a new drug code for marihuana extract.” The DEA’s argument is that the agency is entitled to regulate CBD oil because all extracts contain trace amounts of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis which remains illegal at the federal level.

Establishing this new drug code is, effectively, the first step toward classifying CBD oil alongside cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act. This act classifies cannabis as a Schedule 1 substance, alongside drugs like heroin which are considered to have no practical medical benefit.

However, legal experts and advocates for hemp doubt that the DEA has the mandate to easily ban CBD oil.

New Study Suggests Cannabis Could Help Ease The Opioid Epidemic

A bud of cannabis. March 30, 2007. (Flickr / Eric Caballero)

November 25, 2016

Kit

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New Study Suggests Cannabis Could Help Ease The Opioid Epidemic

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

A new study suggests that cannabis could help ease the deadly opioid epidemic in the United States.

Participants reported “a notable decrease in their use of conventional pharmaceutical agents,” including a 42-percent drop in the use of opiates, according to the pilot study published in Frontiers in Pharmacology on Oct. 13.

The study also suggested that the cognitive function of some medical marijuana users improved over a three-month period.

However, the authors warn that the study’s sample size was too small to be considered conclusive. Twenty-four patients were involved in the initial sample, and 11 returned for follow-up tests on their cognitive abilities three months after initiating treatment.

“While intriguing, these findings are preliminary and warrant further investigation at additional time points and in larger sample sizes,” the authors wrote.

Despite its preliminary nature, the Frontiers study joins a growing number of anecdotal reports that cannabis may help chronic pain patients reduce their use of prescription painkillers and help addicts ease the symptoms of withdrawal.

Major Gains For Cannabis On Election Day Make Full Legalization Almost Inevitable

A person exhales a cloud of cannabis smoke. May 8, 2012. (Flickr / Rafael Castillo)

November 10, 2016

Kit

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Major Gains For Cannabis On Election Day Make Full Legalization Almost Inevitable

Posted in Journalism, and MintPress News

Election results poured in on Tuesday night, turning states not just red or blue, but also green in eight states where voters came out in support of ballot initiatives to legalize medicinal or recreational cannabis.

While the presidential election revealed a starkly divided electorate and partisan political landscape, voters overwhelmingly moved to ease restrictions on cannabis. Polls show that a majority of Americans are in favor of cannabis legalization, which enjoys widespread support across the political spectrum.

Voters in California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada opted to legalize cannabis for recreational use, while Arkansas, Florida, and North Dakota passed laws legalizing medical access. Montanans passed an initiative which improves access to medical marijuana under a pre-existing program.

Arizona, which already has a medical cannabis program, was the only exception to the legalization trend, as 52.1 percent of voters rejected a proposal to legalize recreational use in the state.