Does CBD Paste Help with Pain?

CBD paste can help treat many ailments. Read below as you delve into one of the most excited CBD products, CBD paste, and its function as a pain-relieving product.

CBD, also known as hemp or cannabis, is an active ingredient in the Cannabis sativa plant (marijuana). It is found in large quantities in skin care and medicinal products due to its effectiveness in tackling some illnesses like epilepsy and Dravet syndrome. CBD paste is not a popular CBD product like CBD oil. However, it is one of the most recommended methods of consuming cannabinoids. Compared to other CBD products, CBD paste contains higher doses of cannabis, which is why most CBD pastes are the most expensive in the market compared to other CBD products. Therefore, if you are tight on a budget, you should consider other forms of CBD like CBD oil or CBD butter.

Defining CBD Paste

CBD paste is a gel-like substance that can be applied on the skin topically or ingested orally. Some CBD paste variations are infused with cocoa butter, coconut oil, and CBD distillate. Therefore, when purchasing your CBD paste, ensure you are briefed on the extraction method. Most companies use CO2 extraction because it does not contaminate the CBD. However, CO2 extraction requires costly equipment to be able to extract CBD as well as other important cannabinoids from the hemp plant. CO2 is used as a solvent because it is mild and does not have a ton of setbacks compared to solvents such as butane. CBD pastes contain 40% and 90% of CBD extract; the higher the CBD extract, the better the paste.

CBD pastes are the easiest to obtain among all CBD products because the extraction process is not rocket science. All you need is some knowledge of the process of handling CO₂ and hemp. There is an influx of low-grade CBD pastes on store shelves because the CBD should not get in contact with chemicals or solvents. When purchasing your CBD paste, check to see if it has a golden color; the original CBD paste should preserve the golden color of phytocannabinoids. However,  if your paste has a dark or tar-like color, it is advisable to get rid of it because it is of low quality.

How Does CBD Help with Pain?

Tompkins et al. (2017) discovered that chronic pain is one of the most complex conditions to treat. It is because pain is influenced by our mood, social environment, past traumas, and unique biology. People are shifting from opioids and looking for safer and cheaper ways to deal with pain. Several states have legalized marijuana for medicinal and recreational use because of its heightened interest in reducing chronic pain. Cannabis, obtained from the Cannabis sativa plant, comprises three components; terpenoids, flavonoids, and cannabinoids. There are over a hundred components of cannabinoids. However, the two main components are cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Jensen et al. (2018) based their research on the euphoric aspect of cannabis sativa, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and neglected its other ingredient, cannabidiol (CBD).

According to Urits et al. (2019), certified health care practitioners and scientists have incorporated CBD in some pharmaceutical products to help with anxiety, seizures, inflammation, and pain-related symptoms. CBD, unlike THC, does not contain a euphoric feeling. The role of CBD in pain is still an evolving process that scientists claim may take years before they finally complete research. Gusho (2020) showed that CBD is a pain reliever because it interacts with different pain-sensing parts of the brain; nociceptive, endocannabinoid, and inflammatory. According to Sulak (2015), the endocannabinoid part of the brain is made of cannabinoid receptors that integrate with the cannabinoids present in our bodies. The endocannabinoid system regulates many bodily functions like pain perception, anxiety, appetite, metabolism, and mood.

According to Frydrych et al. (2018), minor body inflammation and chronic pain cases can cause the body to shut down gradually, which may contribute to type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, among other illnesses. However, CBD shows promising results in animal models, and scientists are sure it will be the same for human models, although there isn't enough evidence to show its compatibility with human pain. CBD has come a long way in the pharmaceutical space because recently, the FDA approved its use as an augmentation therapy to treat two severe but rare forms of epilepsy in patients above two years of age. The two types of epilepsy are Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

CBD alone cannot be used to treat chronic pain in the United States. One can only use CBD if it is infused with other types of medication. Canada also approved medicines that have proportional ratios of THC and CBD for treating certain variations of pain, especially in unresponsive cancer patients and central neuropathic pain in cases of multiple sclerosis.

How To Make Your CBD Paste

It is possible to create your own CBD paste at home if you have the main ingredients; hemp buds, vegetable glycerin, or coconut oil. You can collect the hemp buds from low THC marijuana strains or high CBD. Below are steps on how to make your own CBD paste.

• After plucking or purchasing your hemp buds, put them in a mason jar and grind them into fine powder.
• Pour about two ounces of vegetable glycerin or coconut oil into the mason jar.
• Close the mason jar's lid and place it in a pot of water. Ensure that the water is not more than 175 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the mason jar in the water for not more than 11 hours. Learn more about cbd for chronic cough

The Bottom Line

CBD is an active element in the Cannabis sativa plant, known as hemp or cannabis (marijuana). Due to its usefulness in treating disorders, including epilepsy and Dravet syndrome, is found in great quantities in various skin care and pharmaceutical goods. CBD paste is a less well-known CBD product than CBD oil. It is, nonetheless, one of the most often advocated methods of cannabis consumption. CBD paste contains higher concentrations of cannabis than other CBD products, which is why CBD pastes are the most expensive CBD products on the market compared to other CBD products. If you're on a tight budget, alternative CBD products such as CBD oil or butter may be a better option. Learn more about cbd for addiction: can the remedy help?

References

Frydrych, L. M., Bian, G., O'Lone, D. E., Ward, P. A., & Delano, M. J. (2018). Obesity And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Drive Immune Dysfunction, Infection Development, And Sepsis Mortality. Journal Of Leukocyte Biology, 104(3), 525-534.

Gusho, C. A. (2020). Cannabidiol: A Brief Review Of Its Therapeutic And Pharmacologic Efficacy In Managing The Joint Disease. Cureus, 12(3).

Jensen, H. M., Korbut, R., Kania, P. W., & Buchmann, K. (2018). Cannabidiol Affects Behavior And Immune Gene Expression In Zebrafish (Danio rerio). Plus One, 13(7), E0200016.

Sulak, D. (2015). Introduction To The Endocannabinoid System. O'Shaughnessy's, 16, 3-7.

Tompkins, D. A., Hobelmann, J. G., & Compton, P. (2017). Providing Chronic Pain Management In The "Fifth Vital Sign" Era: Historical And Treatment Perspectives On A Modern-Day Medical Dilemma. Drug And Alcohol Dependence, 173, S11-S21.

Urits, I., Borchart, M., Hasegawa, M., Kochanski, J., Orhurhu, V., & Viswanath, O. (2019). An Update Of Current Cannabis-Based Pharmaceuticals In Pain Medicine. Pain And Therapy, 8(1), 41-51.