Remember being thirteen? All of the fun times you had standing next to that boy you crushed on in gym class? Crying when you and your bestie got in another note-passing-in-class fight? Or when your mom called you “Moody Judy” when you talked back to her? No? Just me? Whoops. Go to go!
It seems like those teenage years were full of hormones, gossip, and oh, did I mention hormones? Hormones can definitely affect our moods, amongst other factors. Nonetheless, we grew up, sprouted right out of those “lame” teenage years, and are fully thriving (or more like surviving) adulthood now.
So what’s the 411? How can we get a mood boost without those groovy mood rings deciding our fate? Are there natural alternatives to feeling “energized”? Are cannabinoids really what they’re talked up to be? Can it really have an affect on our mood?
In today’s article, we’ll talk about all things cannabidiol, how far the research has come in the last 20 years on the benefits of cannabinoids, as well as how endocannabinoids can affect and may even boost your mood.
Hang tight, things are about to get good!
MOOD DISORDERS: AN OVERVIEW
By definition, mood is a conscious state of mind or predominant emotion. Your mood can be the way you are feeling at a certain time. For instance, if you’re in a good mood, you may be feeling happy or cheerful. On the other hand, if you’re in a bad mood, you may be feeling angry or frustrated. Whether you’re in a good mood, bad mood, or somewhere in between, moods change and are perfectly normal.
However, according to the Mayo Clinic, when your general emotional state or mood is distorted and interferes with your ability to function in daily living, there may be a mood disorder on the horizon. You may be extremely sad or depressed, you may have periods of depression with periods of excessive happiness.
Mood disorders can cover a broad scope of disorders. For example, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), to name a few, fall under the umbrella of mood disorders.
Fortunately, for most individuals, mood disorders can be successfully managed and treated with a wide array of treatment options.
WHAT IS CANNABIDIOL
The cannabis plant has been making major headway in the world of holistic and natural medicine for decades - with years and years of research backing the beautiful cannabinoid benefits such as aiding in anxiety relief, decreasing depression symptoms, reducing inflammation, improving sleep, relaxing muscles, and many more.
Let’s tackle the misconceptions in my favorite way possible: analogy style.
Not to get confused here with the hemp plant or marijuana plant, the cannabis plant can be described as more so an umbrella term. Under the cannabis plant umbrella, the marijuana and hemp plants reside. On the umbrella handle, we’ve got tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and 100+ more phytocannabinoids living and thriving from their mother plant, cannabis.
In regards to today’s topic of mood, we’re more interested in diving into the world of CBD. It is one of the active compounds of the cannabis plant. It is the non-psychoactive part of the plant - it won’t get you “high” or “stoned”.
On the other hand, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is psychoactive, you may feel “stoned” or “high” after consumption. I’m sure you’re wondering, ‘how do they make you feel different but they come from the same plant’. Great question, but more on that in a minute!
There have been consistent findings in the last 5 to 10 years across clinical studies investigating cannabidiol and how it has been widely considered as safe, lacking toxicity, generally well-tolerated by humans and animals, non-intoxicating, and is non-addictive, with no reinforcing attributes, according to an article published in Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA).
HOW DOES CBD WORK IN OUR BODY
The motherload as I like to call it….our endocannabinoid system, or ECS for short.
The ECS helps regulate homeostasis throughout each and every one of our bodies, aiding in an “all is right” balance.
Our ECS has two main receptors: cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2). Unlike THC, CBD binds indirectly to CB1 and CB2. Thus, you won’t feel the “high”.
Evidence from recent studies have shown that CBD appears to have a significant influence on individuals’ mood and quality of life. More on these mood booster studies below!
CANNABIDIOL AND HEALTH
Improved mood, health, CBD, quality of life…..pickin’ up what I’m putting down? If you aren’t confidently saying yes yet, hang tight. The research below will tie everything together for us, with a big, bright red bow on top. Here comes the science!
First, let’s start with a wonderful, might I say foundational, article for cannabinoids published in the European Journal of Pharmacology in 1974. Scientists aimed to investigate the effects of THC in man and how CBD may interfere.
40 healthy adult male volunteers were assigned to 1 of 8 different experimental groups. Those who were in the THC alone group demonstrated increased pulse rates, disturbed time tasks, and induced strong psychological reactions. On the other hand, those given cannabidiol (15, 30, 60 mg) + tetrahydrocannabinol (30 mg) together had decreased the anxiety component of THC effects, with subjects even reporting more pleasurable effects overall.
CBD not only decreased the effects of THC, but also changed the type of psychological reactions induced by THC.
A 2016 mice study out of Spain investigated the antidepressant potential of cannabidiol on different neurotransmitters and receptors in the body. Researchers found that CBD exerted fast and maintained antidepressant-like effects after administration. This finding could represent a novel fast antidepressant drug, through both neurotransmitter signaling and receptor-dependent mechanisms.