More than 1.1 billion people smoke cigarettes worldwide resulting in the death of eight million people annually. World Health Organization.
The death toll from cannabis? Zero.
Failure the Rule when Quitting Cigarettes: CBD Might Help
Within a day of your first dose, nicotine begins to alter the structure and function of the brain.
It is no surprise that one in ten teens become hooked on cigarettes within two days of their first cigarette. 25 percent are addicted within a month.
The American Cancer Society states that it takes at least 8 to 10 attempts to quit smoking because nicotine from cigarettes stimulates receptors in the brain to release dopamine, the “happy hormone.” That response tells the brain that whatever it just experienced is worth getting more of.
Experiencing these effects from nicotine is what makes tobacco so addictive. Withdrawal from something so pleasurable can be truly scary. Everything from headaches and nausea to anxiety, depression and irritability.
Cut Your Cigarette Addiction with CBD
Research suggests that CBD can help with addictive behaviors. CBD influences addiction pathways. When researchers hook rats on cocaine, heroin or amphetamine, they can extinguish that conditioning by injecting them with THC and CBD.
In a pilot study researchers found that a megadose of CBD, or cannabidiol, reduced the number of cigarettes reportedly smoked by almost 40%, in comparison to a placebo.
Why that happens is fascinating. CBD basically makes smoking cigarettes less interesting and less pleasurable. The dopamine we talked about above? The hormone high that we crave declines.
The Whole CBD Flower Experience
Researchers and growers alike are testing whether the whole hemp plant, CBD flower, not just a CBD extract, can have the biggest impact. There is something called the “Entourage Effect,” where cannabinoids and terpenoids work together to have a more positive impact on your health.
Smoke a Joint to Quit Smoking Cigarettes?
What researchers have not tested is the form you take your CBD. Is a gummy the same thing to a smoker as a joint? You don’t have to be a neuroscientist to realize that all those behavioral routines, and feelings can matter as much as physical factors.
For many people smoking CBD flower is preferred over vaping. It’s what you know. But if you want to have CBD benefits without the toxic effect of smoke in your lungs, it is probably better to vape CBD flower rather than smoke it.
Share this Post
