I am sure I was like many of you out there and thought CBD and hemp were marijuana. I had heard some people talk about CBD and CBD oils and how they were taking them for a number of ailments that they were having, anxiety, sleep deprivation, chronic pains, and some have even used it to supplement chemo treatments for those diagnosed with cancer.
“Cannabidiol offers hope of a non-toxic therapy that could treat aggressive forms of cancer without any of the painful side effects of chemotherapy,” says Dr. Sean McAllister, a scientist at the Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco and who is seeking support to conduct clinical trials with the marijuana compound on breast cancer patients.
I was still skeptical. Not that I was a prude, or that I was against drugs, or thought negatively about someone that did smoke marijuana. I was just a parent, of two boys, and a 41 year old suburban dad shouldn’t be getting into pot. At least that is what society accepts.
But here’s the thing. I suffered from a number of things that I was either using costly (and potentially dangerous) medicines, expensive trips to the chiropractor, and issues with sleep that would render me useless throughout the day. I found myself calling into work, generally disinterested, and professionally I was not doing great which was not the case previously.
Then there were some people that were very straight and narrow that had mentioned CBD oil as a way to possibly help with some of my chronic back and neck issues. They mentioned that they used CBD oil, and it really helped them with a number of aches, pains, as well as PTSD.
So I began to read into CBD oils, what they were, and how they could help me and the issues that I was having.
But I still wasn’t sure what CBD oil was, if it was even legal, and if I could actually turn to it for help.
What is CBD?
CBD is, in its long form, Cannabidiol, a non-intoxicating extract from a marijuana or hemp plant. Wait, you didn’t know there was a difference between hemp and marijuana? Here is how Medium.com explains the two plants.
When comparing Hemp vs Marijuana, this is a huge distinction; while Hemp contains a very low concentration of THC (0.3% or less), Marijuana is abundant in THC with concentrations between 15% to 40%.
Because of this, Hemp is grown primarily for industrial purposes, while Marijuana is grown for recreational and medicinal purposes.
So, while coming from a similar family of plants, they are internally different. Both however have cannabidiol, which is the active ingredient, and hemp’s small amounts of THC (0.3% or less) won’t pop you on a drug test.
But is it a drug?
So I say drug test, and that might frighten someone away from using CBD. CBD that has been extracted from hemp is perfectly safe, won’t give you a high, has no psychoactive properties, and is perfectly safe for consumption. This is so safe that there are plenty of parents that give CBD to their children.
Now, providing CBD to children is a choice for every parent to make on their own, but many parents have sworn that it is helping their children with a number of health concerns.
So, why are parents even considering giving their kids CBD? Because it’s been demonstrated to help alleviate the symptoms of multiple serious conditions. It’s particularly useful for drug-resistant epilepsy, with patients even finding that remission is possible.
CBD has also been suggested as a treatment for anxiety and autism in children. Although it’s not psychoactive, some people that use CBD report feeling both mentally and physically relaxed. Parents are often wary about giving their kids pharmaceutical drugs if it’s not absolutely necessary, but CBD is prized because it’s natural.
So again, while this is a question you as a parent will need to answer for yourself, there’s no legal issue or moral issue with giving your children CBD oil. This is something that you should discuss with your doctor.
In fact, talking to your doctor on usage of CBD oil is recommended in every instance, regardless of age. Those who use it should consult with a doctor on what it could help with, how much you should take, and if there are any potential issues with other prescriptions you are taking.
How CBD helped me
Like I mentioned. I had some issues that were affecting me personally and professionally. My knees would ache, I had migraines, I had back and neck issues, pain that would render me useless at times, sleep issues, and other problems that were causing issues personally and professionally.
So after I researched what CBD was, how it could help me, I began to shop around.
I reached out to a couple of friends that were selling CBD oils, to get a sense of what they use, where the plant was sourced, and costs. After doing hours of research I came across My Daily Choice. This was an American company that uses hemp plants grown in Kentucky, and due to the finest extraction process they provide a solvent free, pure extract.
What made me even more comfortable with My Daily Choice is the fact that they post all of their stringent third-party tests on their site. When a company is transparent, you know they are trustworthy.
So I ordered a 750ml bottle of CBD oil.
You can take the oil in a number of ways. Rub it into sore muscles, straight via the dropper, or mix the oil in other foods or drinks. I chose to take a dropper in my morning coffee.
After a couple of days I started to notice that my neck and back weren’t bothering me as much as they once were.
Then I noticed my knees weren’t bothering me in the morning. I know you know what I’m talking about, that weird ache in your knees and ankles that would cause you to lay in bed for 10-20 minutes as you waited for the circulation to flow before you dared to take that first step in the morning.
The migraines that would paralyze me, stopped. Those rare occasions that I would get a headache (something that used to be an every other day thing for me) would be quenched with a small dropper oil.
Oh, and the sleep issues? I’m tired at appropriate times and falling asleep soon after I lay my head on my pillow.
The best thing, I used to take two Bayer Back and Body pills a day (1,000 mg) for back and knee issues. I would take four ibuprofen every other day (800 mg). This had me taking almost 10,000 mg of pills a week. Within two weeks of taking CBD oil my pain killer intake was reduced to a single Back and Body a week, and now months into taking CBD daily I haven’t taken an Advil, Bayer, cheap CVS knockoff, anything in a month and a half. I’ve replaced 10,000 mg of pain killers with about 350 mg of CBD oil.
Is it a miracle?
CBD isn’t a miracle, but I am telling you that it is damn close. There are helping tons of people with tons of issues that many of us take for granted, decide to just live with. CBD has helped all of these people on the road to live their best life.
My Daily Choice offers CBD in many products. Pure CBD oil, or the oil in peppermint or cinnamon flavor. It is offered in a spray, cream, and even in coffee. They have branched out into offerings for your dogs, which is great if your dog gets over-excited around guests or during the Fourth of July and fireworks. They even offer a product that is THC free (the regular product has 0.3% THC, which is within the legal limits).
Why am I talking about it? On a sports page?
Many of my aches and pains have come from playing sports my entire life. My knees, ankles, neck, and back are all products of years of playing baseball, basketball, football, and hockey. Taking CBD has helped me in my daily life in getting past the aches and pains that were left over from the *good old playing days* of my youth.
I have also read and listened to several podcasts in which CBD has helped those suffering from side effects of extreme and constant hits to the head. Something that is extremely common in those who played contact sports throughout their lives. CBD is also helping military personnel that are coming home from war and dealing with extreme depression and PTSD from their service.
So why am I talking about it? Because it has honestly helped me and since I have a forum to put this out there, whether five people read this or 30,000, I felt like I should tell the world my story and perhaps it helps you decide on if you would try CBD or read up on CBD and explore how it could potentially help you.
I have been helped so much by this product that I have joined the My Daily Choice team.
I know that there are many on the fence, might not believe in what I am telling you, or have been afraid to try. If you are that person, here is a link for free samples. You do have to pay for shipping, but this is a way to test the product, see how it helps you, and if it does help, you can make the decision to buy a full bottle or another product as needed.
But also, the product itself has a money-back guarantee. The company stands behind the product, I stand behind the product.
I do have to tell you, if you have questions, I’m not who you ask. You should absolutely turn to a doctor. You should absolutely inform yourself about CBD through reliable and unbiased sources. But I am telling you that it has worked for me. I feel stronger than I have in some time. I don’t have the aches I once did. I don’t have the pain I once did. I personally vouch for the My Daily Choice CBD products. I invite you to try them as well.
