CBD oil is currently being advocated as the panacea for all ailments from anxiety and depression to cancer and epilepsy symptom relief. Having suffered with anxiety since the menopause I thought I’d give it a go and see if it helped to calm my fevered brain or at least make me feel slightly more serene.
I decided to buy my CBD oil from Mindful Extracts which, according to the blurb is ‘ideal for just starting out, has a subtle natural flavour and enables you to ‘quickly start experiencing the desired effect’. I couldn’t wait for it to arrive and release the serene, more relaxed version of myself. Inspection of the claims and explanation of how it works seemed rather unscientific as it professes to be for people ‘who are looking for a safe and natural way to aid their body and mind’ and ‘CBD interacts with your endocannabinoid and is key to supporting homeostasis’. I didn’t quite understand that but expected to feel fabulous and rejuvenated for a mere £36.99 for the 5% strength – recommended for anyone who’s ‘after an everyday supplement or if you’re just getting started’. Apparently after you’ve become accustomed to it you can progress to the 10% strength for the ultimate all-rounder and 20% for ‘the more experienced user. This made my mind boggle – if the 5% strength enhances your everyday wellbeing, why would you need to move on to a higher strength? Also, if there is an ultimate all rounder there should be no need for anything else – the clue being in the word ‘ultimate’. The 20% variety claims to contain THC (the active ingredient in cannabis) but ‘not enough to get you high. It’s also £99 which sounds a lot for something that won’t get you high. The gradual upgrading of the strength makes me think it becomes less effective the more you use it and you then need to up the dose – sound familiar?
Enough with the suppositions I was very keen to get started and tore into the box as soon as it arrived. The recommended dose is a couple of drops in the morning and a couple at night. I had my two drops and… yuk! It was absolutely disgusting. A horrible ‘fatty’ taste and an oily texture (I don’t suppose that should have come as a surprise given that the clue is in the name). It was bearable though and I managed to hold it under my tongue for the requisite amount of time as per the instructions, although I was also supressing the urge to cough. According to one review the effects were immediate causing an ‘immediate reduction in anxiety’. I wasn’t feeling particularly anxious at that point but expected to feel more relaxed, sadly, however, I didn’t. I was disappointed that I didn’t feel an immediate euphoric effect for my thirty odd quid and had coughed for about a minute after ingesting. I did, however, remain buoyed by other positive reviews such as ‘helps me sleep at night’ and ‘it’s helping me reduce the amount of pain killing mediation I’m on’ I kept my great expectations intact and soldered on…and on. I didn’t feel any different the next day or the next week or the week after that and I coughed every time I took it. It didn’t help with anxiety or insomnia, in fact it had no effect whatsoever. I wanted it to but I’m not sure that I really thought it would be of use.
Research shows that you cannot overdose on CBD oil even if you take a large quantity. In my opinion, CBD is the same as other homeopathic medicine and if you can’t overdose on it then it can’t do you any good either. I don’t doubt that Mindful Extracts is a reputable company and that their products are carefully sourced and it’s wonderful that some people feel it has really helped them but I consider this to be a placebo effect and that CBD ‘remedies’ are a modern day snake oil.
