Stylists never leave home without this controversial oil

Hollywood awards season is officially over but up until now, the star-studded Oscars is still trending in the news! Dressed to the nines, celebs were scrutinized from head to toe by mainstream and social media. What and who they wore, the brand of their rented jewelry, who were the best- and worst-dressed, who went with who, how Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga stared at each other during their duet and even what Melissa McCarthy applied on her feet to avoid pain associated with high heels.

Why in the world should this be hot news? Well, the oil or cream that she applied between her toes to avoid heel pain is the controversial CBD (cannabidiol) oil — derived from cannabis, or marijuana — which, according to the uninformed, can get you as high as a kite and which is not yet approved by the FDA.

Celebrity stylists supposedly always have CBD oil or cream in their beauty arsenal. Just like Melissa McCarthy did, their clients rub it on their feet to avoid pain from using killer stiletto heels the whole night.

Forbes magazine predicted that by 2020, CBD products will hit the US$2 billion mark.

I got interested in CBD oil in 2017 when a close friend confided that each time she felt pain in her achy-breaky joints, she rubbed CBD oil on them and felt relieved. She discovered CBD oil from a friend, who used it for her health issues, including anxiety and pain after a hip transplant. This piqued my curiosity because at that time I was experiencing lower back pains after a hectic dance exercise. I thought perhaps CBD could assuage my lower back pains. So before buying the oil, I did some research. I wanted to know if it would give me a high and relief at the same time.

According to a comprehensive article by Jon Johnson in Medical News Today, CBD oil is controversial because it has medical benefits from anecdotes but is not scientifically proven — yet! However, research is ongoing to validate the claims of people who swear by CBD.

What is CBD? CBD is one of many compounds known as cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. The least-processed form of the cannabis plant is hemp, which contains most of the CBD that people use medicinally. Hemp and marijuana come from the same plant, cannabis sativa, but the two are very different. Marijuana has two compounds: an active compound, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which creates a mind-altering high when a person smokes it or uses it in cooking; and CBD, which, unlike THC, is not psychoactive, which means that it does not alter a person’s state of mind when they use it.

CBD, however — which comes in different forms like oil, balms, pills, candies or tinctures — produces some changes in a person’s body that research suggests have medical benefits.

CBD has anti-inflammatory properties and provides natural pain relief, according to a study published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine.

Some promising evidence suggests that CBD use may help people quit smoking.

It could be a promising treatment for people with opioid addiction disorders.

CBD has reduced some symptoms associated with substance-use disorders, which includes anxiety, mood swings, pain and insomnia.

More research is necessary, but findings suggest that CBD may help prevent or reduce withdrawal symptoms.

As of 2018, the FDA approved CBD (Epidiolex) as a therapy for two rare epileptic conditions that are difficult to control with other medications.

CBD may prove to combat cancer, as the compound tends to suppress the growth of cancer cells and promote their destruction.

CBD may reduce anxiety-related behaviors such as post-traumatic stress disorder, general anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

It could also cure Type 1 diabetes.

It may help prevent acne, as CBD helps to lower the production of sebum that leads to acne, partly because of it’s anti-inflammatory effect on the body.

Research showed that it could help people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s because CBD was able to prevent the development of social-recognition deficit in participants.

In terms of legality, cannabis is legal for either medicinal or recreational use in some American states. As of May 2018, other states have approved the use of CBD oil as a hemp product, but not the general use of medical marijuana.

Warning: anyone who is considering using CBD or Epidiolex should talk to a qualified healthcare practitioner beforehand and learn its pros and cons.

As to where to find CBD, the Internet is the best source of CBD products. In the USA, they are sold in states that have legalized CBD.