The effectiveness of CBD as an alternative source of medicine has made it popular with consumers. A lot of people are now turning to this cannabis plant extract to treat a wide range of medical conditions. CBD is not only organic and nonpsychoactive but also ideal for long-term use. But its popularity and effectiveness continue to raise questions regarding its safety? Well, can CBD cause withdrawal effects?
Some people want to use CBD for the long term but are afraid that it may result in dependency and addiction. These are some of the problems that come with the use of a prescription drug for a long time. But is this also the case when it comes to CBD?
Can CBD Result in Tolerance?
A CBD user can’t develop tolerance to this product. Note that tolerance means that the effectiveness of this compound would reduce with repeated use. That means that if you were to use CBD for a longer period, then you wouldn’t be able to experience similar effects as at the start if you maintained the same dosage. As a result, you would need to increase the dosage amount as time goes by to maintain its efficacy. However, this isn’t the case. You can use it in the same dosage for a long and still attain the same effects.
Can CBD Cause Withdrawals?
CBD can’t cause withdrawal. This means that if you quite using your favorite cannabidiol product, then you won’t experience any withdrawal symptoms. It doesn’t matter how much or how long you have been using it. You won’t experience any withdrawal symptoms even at relatively high doses.
It’s worth noting that your body may even end up developing a reverse tolerance. This means that you can easily decrease your CBD dose and still get to enjoy its benefits. But a lot of people usually confuse CBD withdrawal with cannabis withdrawal, which is quite different.
What’s Cannabis Withdrawal?
This is the opposite of CBD withdrawal. Cannabis withdrawal occurs when a person uses a marijuana product with high THC content. The continuous use of marijuana often leads to dependency. So, if you stop using marijuana, the psychoactive THC content may result in side effects such as:
- Excessive sweating
- Getting easily irritable
- Feeling restless
- Change in appetite
- Acute or chronic insomnia
- Feeling of nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Increased marijuana cravings
Generally, cannabis cravings start as mild but the feeling usually grows gradually. It’s estimated that the withdrawal symptoms usually peak within the first 7 days of quitting the use of this substance. Additionally, you will continue to experience withdrawal symptoms for up to 2 weeks. But what’s actually surprising is that you can use CBD to treat the withdrawal symptoms of THC.
CBD and THC Withdrawal Symptoms
It’s not surprising that CBD can be effective in managing THC withdrawal symptoms. What’s maybe unusual is that CBD and THC have a few aspects that closely interrelate. However, THC is psychoactive while CBD is non-psychoactive.
In this case, CBD has an overhand. You can use it to reverse the adverse effects of THC in the body, including its harsh withdrawal symptoms. It’s worth noting that continuous use of THC, especially in large doses will result in:
- Addiction
- Tolerance
- Withdrawals
CBD is an exceptionally safe and effective organic hemp compound that you can use to treat all these. It doesn’t cause addiction or tolerance. Besides that, it helps to reduce dependency on cannabinoid products. Note that there is still a need for more research studies to fully establish the effectiveness of CBD for cannabis withdrawal therapy.
CBD for Opioid Withdrawal
Well, you just can’t use CBD for cannabis withdrawal only but also for opioid withdrawal. The use of conventional painkillers continues to raise questions. This is because the addiction crisis related to this drug is at an all-time high.
People who legitimately use opioids to treat and manage chronic pain always end up getting addicted to them quickly. Besides that, the withdrawal that comes with quitting these medications is usually severe. Most people find themselves going back to them because the withdrawal can be unmanageable.
And how soon can you experience opioid withdrawal? Typically, it only takes 4-6 hours after your last dose! That’s how serious opioid effects are. Common opioid withdrawal symptoms include:
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Stomach cramping
- Fever
- Sweating
- Increased heartbeat
- Change in sleep patterns
- Muscle pain
- Anxiety
- Depression
In case of these symptoms, you can actually use CBD for management purposes. A review report on substance abuse indicates that CBD plays an important role in treating drug addiction. Its benefits are essential in many phases of managing symptoms of drug addiction. For instance, the use of CBD during the active phase of addition i.e., the intoxication phase can help to reduce possible reward-facilitation of opioids. Besides that, it can be great in reducing the feeling of euphoria.
Besides that, CBD can be effective for use during the withdrawal stage where the patient struggles with strong opioid cravings. Taking CBD can help a patient to reduce the severity of the withdrawal symptoms. But the effectiveness of CBD in managing drug addiction doesn’t just stop with these two phases. Research studies indicate that this organic cannabis compound delivers even more outstanding results in relapse and post-withdrawal phases.
Note: Before using CBD to manage your opioid withdrawal, ensure that you first talk to your doctor.
The Bottom Line
The effectiveness of CBD in treating everyday health issues and chronic pain is the reason it’s popular. It’s an affordable source of alternative therapy that’s safe and efficient. Research studies indicate that the efficacy of CBD doesn’t drop even after long-term use. This is because it doesn’t result in intolerance. Well, CBD is also non-addictive and doesn’t result in dependency. As a result, it can’t result in withdrawal symptoms regardless of the dosage you use and how long you have been using it. This makes it ideal for long-term use, even in higher doses.
