CBD, which stands for cannabinol, has been popping up all around the US and other countries. It is being added to drinks, food, and other types of consumables. CBD is becoming popular for multiple reasons such as it’s reported health and wellness benefits, and the fact it doesn’t get you “high” like THC.

One demographic that has really benefited from CBD are veteran’s with numerous ailments such as PTSD and pain and injuries due to combat. CBD offers veterans who return home a more natural solution. Furthermore, many veterans who return home with pain and injuries are being prescribed harmful pharmaceutical medications like opioids to help recover.

Opioids are extremely addictive and harmful. Often, many people who use opioids fall into the trap of addiction. In the US, opioid addiction has dramatically increased, to the point that it has become a national epidemic.

More on Opioid Addiction

Opioids ruin lives and hurt the nation as a whole. “Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids.1 The misuse of and addiction to opioids—including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl—is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total “economic burden” of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement.”

MMJ and CBD As a Solution

Cannabis has been mentioned as a solution to drug addiction by leading authorities like Dr. OZ. With it’s medical properties, it has the potential to help with many ailments even outside of addiction. In fact, when a US state passes a MMJ law, opioid mortality rate drops by 24.8%.  The percentage also increases the longer cannabis has been legal in a state. In addition, non-fatal opioid hospitalizations decrease by 23% as well, whether people are using prescription opioids, heroin, and/or fentanyl.

“Despite its long history of pervasive recreational use in society, the understanding of medicinal aspects of cannabinoids is only in its infancy. Significant research efforts are still necessary to evaluate fully the development of CBD as a potential therapy for addiction disorders. To date, the evidence appears to at least support a potential beneficial treatment for opioid abuse. The fact that patients with substance use disorders often present with various psychiatric and medical symptoms that are reduced by CBD—symptoms such as anxiety, mood symptoms, insomnia, and pain—also suggests that CBD might be beneficial for treating opioid-dependent individuals. Currently most medications for opioid abuse directly target the endogenous opioid system. CBD could thus offer a novel line of research medication that indirectly regulate neural systems modulating opioid-related behavior, thus helping to reduce side effects normally associated with current opioid substitution treatment strategies.”

Conclusion

Cannabis has a come a long way from the dark shadows it was forced to hide behind. However, even with such great progress, there is still a long way to go. More studies, more understanding, more people helping shine light on outdated stigmas will help break barriers. Yet, the future couldn’t look brighter for cannabis and CBD.