Nearly 1 in 5 Americans live with a mental disorder, and mental health in the U.S. has worsened amid the coronavirus pandemic. Can CBD support your mental health?

Are you dealing with extreme highs and lows? Low energy, lack of motivation, depression, or even panic attacks? Living with a mental disorder can significantly affect every aspect of your life, including your relationships, career, and physical health. Although there is no shortage of prescription medications, they come with an endless list of side effects, so you might start searching for natural ingredients to help and wonder if CBD can help and how to use it correctly to support your mental health. Here’s everything you need to know.

COVID-19 and Mental Health Concerns

Unfortunately, mental health issues worldwide worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic.  In the 2020 KFF Health Tracking Poll, many American adults reported specific negative impacts on their mental health and well-being during the pandemic. These included difficulty sleeping (36%) or eating (32%), increased alcohol consumption/substance use (12%), and worsening chronic conditions (12%) because of worries and stress over the coronavirus. 

As life is returning to ‘normal’ after the coronavirus pandemic, you might find yourself more worried and anxious about going back to the ‘pre-pandemic life.’ Although it seems like a paradox, it’s very likely to feel stressed about joining crowds after a prolonged time of isolation and even doing things with friends that you used to enjoy in the past. That’s why now you need to find a solution to regain balance and return to life relieved.

Coronavirus prompted not only mental health issues but a spike in eCommerce sales of CBD. As more and more people are trying the famous cannabis compound, you might want to give it a try too and see if it can support your mental health. 

CBD and Mental Health

Even though it’d be exciting to declare CBD a panacea for all mental health disorders, it affects consumers differently, depending on various individual factors. CBD is still under research, so there are things even science doesn’t know yet, so there’s no way to predict its exact outcomes and whether it’ll be successful in helping relieve your mental health problems. However, CBD has already made its mark on the wellness market, and it’s a trend here to stay. Numerous studies and consumer reports have already explored its interaction with the human body and mind that can help you jump-start your CBD journey.

How Does CBD Work?

CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, which derives from marijuana’s non-psychoactive cousin plant – hemp. Hemp and its derivatives like CBD have been federally legal since the 2018 Farm Bill, and since then, the natural ingredient has been a famous addition to millions of people’s routines.

People use CBD for varying reasons, with 50% of consumers using it for relaxation, according to the 2019 US CBD consumer’s report. 78% of these consumers found CBD helpful.

According to science, CBD affects our body and mind by interacting with endocannabinoid System (ECS) and its receptors – CB1 and CB2 existent in the human brain, central nervous system, and immune cells. 

ECS plays a role in many bodily functions, including mood, memory, pain, and stress responses. It turns out that, like cannabis plants, animals and humans also produce cannabinoids – endocannabinoids, which serve the primary function to activate ECS receptors and to regulate many physiological processes. Cannabinoids like CBD are structurally similar to endocannabinoids, so CBD can travel to the bloodstream and interact with ECS receptors in the body when we consume CBD-infused products. Nevertheless, the exact way cannabinoids work with ECS and affect bodily functions remains obscure, and the interaction results in varying outcomes across CBD consumers.

Is CBD Legal?

Yes, hemp-derived CBD per the 2018 Farm Bill is legal for purchase and consumption when it doesn’t contain more than 0.3% THC.

CBD Facts:

• CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid – it won’t get consumers high or cause mind-altering symptoms
• CBD is federally legal per the 2018 Farm Bill
• CBD works by interacting with the human endocannabinoid system receptors in the human body.’
• CBD affects consumers differently. 50% of them use CBD for relaxation, according to the 2019 US CBD Consumers Report
• CBD is non-addictive and safe to use daily
• CBD derives from a non-psychoactive cannabis plant called hemp

How to use CBD to Support Mental Health?

Getting started with CBD can bring numerous questions, and finding the correct answers is crucial to use CBD and experience its results correctly.

The steps in getting started with CBD and using it correctly includes:

CBD comes in various forms and three primary categories – oral CBD products, CBD topicals, and CBD vape products. 

CBD topicals work outside of the body, so they are best used to target a specific body area rather than overall balance. 

Oral products comprise tinctures (CBD oils), softgels, and edibles. 

Tinctures (CBD Oils) are the fastest acting due to the sublingual administration method, allowing CBD to travel directly to the bloodstream bypassing the first-pass effect. They come in different flavors and are the best choice for newcomers as the tinctures’ measuring dropper applicator allows consumers to measure the amount of CBD to consume carefully.

Softgels offer an odorless and tasteless CBD experience and offer pre measured CBD oil amounts per capsule. Softgels take longer to kick in than tinctures, as they first need to go through the digestive tract.

CBD edibles offer a fun and delicious CBD consumption method, usually in the form of CBD gummies. Each piece contains a predetermined CBD amount and, like softgels, goes through the digestive tract before affecting the body.

CBD vape products come in the form of CBD-infused e-liquids and cartridges used for vaporizing.

If you need help choosing the right product, read our article Which Primabee Product is Right for You?

Unfortunately, not all CBD products are of the same quality, and 70% of them might have false information on their labels. Finding a safe and effective product is crucial to experience its effects, and to do so, always look for third-party lab test results that confirm a product’s quality and shop from reputable CBD brands.

Many CBD beginners expect to experience CBD’s effects right after first consumption. Although some of them might see its results even after the first try, usually CBD takes time (sometimes days or a few weeks) to build up in your system and start delivering noticeable results. That’s why it’s essential to use CBD regularly.

Setting your daily CBD dosage is essential to achieve desired results. There’s no universal dosage that works for everyone, so you need to try different doses and see what’s best suited for your body and mind.

Learn more in the article Which Dosage is Right for Me?

Choose Premium CBD Products at Primabee

Searching for high-quality CBD can be distressing with so many options and unreliable brands on the market. At Primabee, we are transparent about our CBD and every step we take to create our product. Most importantly, they all are third-party lab tested, so the product you buy at Primabee is guaranteed to be of the highest quality.

All our products are:

• Free of harsh chemicals and pesticides
• Safe to consume daily
• Third-party lab tested
• Vegan Friendly / Gluten-Free
• Cruelty-Free
• Pet-Friendly
• Legal in All 50 States
• USA Grown / Non-GMO
• LO2NoTHC* - removing the unwanted THC and refining our CBD to remove undesired compounds like wax, chlorophyll, and plant pigments.
• 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed