Hundreds of abstracts published on the results of cannabis research can’t be wrong. The links to 567 of them posted on GreenMedInfo.com, give viewers the opportunity to click their way to research that demonstrates the wide range of healing attributes and therapeutic properties of Cannabis sativa. This important herbaceous species, which was used in conventional medicine until the 1930s, is a virtual treasure trove of phytochemicals, antioxidants, essential oils and cannabinoids—a class of diverse chemical compounds that act on specialized receptor cells that repress neurotransmitter release in the brain.

In 2016, Frontiers in Plant Science named cannabis “the plant of the thousand-and-one molecules.” From the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, in Germany, to Israel’s prestigious Hebrew University, in Jerusalem, which opened a cannabis research center and joined a consortium of 19 research teams at local academic institutions to study cannabinoids, the compounds of Cannabis sativa have become the most studied group of compounds on the planet. One of the most active of these cannabinoids is cannabidiol. Referred to as CBD, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration legalized it in 2014 and categorized it as a supplement.

It was the discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) by Israeli chemist Raphael Mechoulam, a leading pioneer in cannabis research at Hebrew University, that first alerted medical science to the largest receptor system in humans, and the fact that the human brain produces its own cannabinoids that stimulate this receptor system. This revelation is essentially what legitimized the study of a substance previously only on the margins of scientific research.

The reason that Cannabis sativa works so efficiently is because of the human body’s ECS and its series of receptors that are configured only to accept cannabinoids, especially tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Until recently, the focus was largely on THC, because of its mind-altering effects. That focus has now shifted, due to the fact that CBD, the major non-psychoactive component of Cannabis sativa, has acquired a long list of medical benefits. According to a 2013 study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, CBD acts as an anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant, antioxidant, antiemetic, anxiolytic and antipsychotic agent, and is therefore a potential remedy for the treatment of neuro-inflammation, epilepsy, oxidative injury, vomiting and nausea, anxiety and schizophrenia.

“To activate the body’s endocannabinoid system, an individual needs to consume a minimum of 20 milligrams of CBD per day. We suggest front loading for four to five days to activate the system by taking 20 milligrams three times per day. Then find the milligram strength that works for the specific condition. Begin with more than needed to get desired results. After you get relief, reduce the strength and frequency to find the dosage that works best for the individual condition,” says Walter Wright. He is the Marketing Director for Wright Marketing & Consulting, and a spokesperson for Sunshine Global Services, a producer of premium, highly researched hemp CBD and skincare products backed by a minimum of three independent lab tests and field testing. They are the first in the Eastern United States to achieve a completely THC-free (no traces) phytocannabinoid-rich hemp oil.

Some scientific reports even demonstrate that CBD benefits include anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic effects that inhibit cancer cell migration, adhesion and invasion. A 2006 study published in the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics found that CBD selectively and potently inhibited the growth of different breast tumor cell lines and exhibited significantly less potency in non-cancer cells.

In the future, it is possible that cannabis-based remedies may take their rightful place in the worldwide pharmacopeia once again. In the meantime, with the proliferation of CBD products in health food stores and online, it is important to research the quality and potency of what is offered.

Read labels and look for third-party International Organization for Standardization (ISO) lab testing for purity, as well as supercritical CO₂ closed-clod extraction, a non-toxic and environmentally friendly botanical oil extraction method. Laboratories that are ISO-accredited have demonstrated that they are technically competent and able to produce precise and accurate test and/or calibration data.

For more information about CBD, call 800-334-1236 or visit SunshineGlobalHealth.com.