CBD and Men: What You Need to Know

Despite what you may have heard, CBD and men are a great match. A study by Project CBD found that CBD use tends to skew towards women, but that’s really no surprise as two of the most common conditions for which people use CBD are pain and anxiety – conditions which affect women in the greatest numbers. However, CBD can also be an effective part of men’s wellness regimen. CBD can ease several men’s conditions, often by addressing the underlying root of the problem, such as anxiety. And CBD is safe, non-habit forming and doesn’t require a prescription.

What is CBD?

CBD is an acronym for cannabidiol, a compound that occurs naturally in both marijuana and hemp. CBD is found in very high concentrations in certain strains of hemp. It is widely regarded to possess great medicinal value,

Most CBD (cannabidiol) comes from the agricultural hemp plant, a fast-growing member of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. Marijuana belongs to the same family of plants. While marijuana and hemp are similar in many ways, they differ in their phytochemical composition. Hemp has lower concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the psychoactive compound in marijuana that gets you “high.” It has higher concentrations of CBD, which doesn’t produce the “high” of marijuana. CBD was first discovered in 1940, and is the second-most prevalent of about 113 identified cannabinoids in cannabis plants.

CBD is non-intoxicating and won’t produce the effects of marijuana. Many users do, however, report feelings of calm and relaxation. Marijuana has an abundance of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive substance in marijuana that produces a “high,” while hemp contains almost none. Hemp-based CBD must contain less than 0.3% THC, so you don’t have to worry about that marijuana “buzz.”

CBD is available in many forms: Oil, capsules, pure isolate, and edibles, to name a few.

CBD and Men: The Benefits

Before the 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp, it was on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. Because of its status under the CSA, up until now studies on its medicinal properties were few.  However, there’s one thing many researchers already agree on: that data so far provides a case for further research to learn more about the therapeutic potential of CBD. Now that hemp is legal, more studies are underway.

One of the major conditions for which CBD has shown great promise is anxiety. In one study of 57 men, researchers gave one group oral CBD and another a placebo 90 minutes before undergoing a simulated public speaking test. The placebo had little to no effect on the men’s anxiety in speaking publicly; but 300mg significantly reduced participants’ anxiety during the test.

A 2015 study published in Neurotherapeutics concluded, “Evidence from human studies strongly supports the potential for CBD as a treatment for anxiety disorders,” including seasonal affective disorder, general anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Chronic pain

Whether it’s a high school sports injury that never went away or chronic pain caused by other conditions, CBD has been shown to work to relieve neuropathic and inflammatory pain. Chronic pain not only causes physical discomfort, it can affect you emotionally and mentally as well. In some cases, pain can lead to misuse of medication, such as opioids, which are addictive. By treating the pain, medical professionals hope to reduce reliance on opioids, the use of which has reached a national crisis.

Pain from Exercise

CBD also is finding increasing acceptance with athletes. Many people feel pain after working out. That pain can last a day or even several days. The reason for the post-workout pain is delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Microscopic damage to muscle fibers during exercise likely cause pain. “Activities which cause DOMS all cause muscles to lengthen while force is applied. This is eccentric muscle action,” according to the ACSM. “The severity of soreness depends on the types of forces placed on the muscle.”

Many people use ibuprofen or another non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) after a workout, but NSAIDs come with their own risks: In a Stanford study, ultra-marathoners who took one pill every four hours during a 50-mile ultra-marathon, doubled their risk of acute kidney injury.

CBD is safe and non-addictive. It interacts with brain receptors to produce anti-inflammatory effects that reduce pain, reduce pre-event anxiety, and help you sleep so you heal faster.

Dr. Alan Beyer told US News & World Report that CBD is most promising as a way to help patients recover from exercise-related injuries. He said he often recommends that his patients apply a CBD cream to an injured area.

Erectile dysfunction

Erectile dysfunction is very common and as many as 1 in 10 adult males suffer from ED on a long-term basis, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The cause is often medical: chronic pain, for instance, can affect libido. But the cause can be psychological, too: Anxiety can dampen libido and affect performance. Using CBD may help relieve anxiety and calm the mind, decreasing performance anxiety and making you feel more at ease, all of which can enhance your sexual experience.

High blood pressure

High blood pressure (also known as hypertension) is quite common – and very dangerous. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 1 of 3 U.S. adults have high blood pressure: only about half of those people have their blood pressure under control.

Known as “The Silent Killer” because it often has no obvious symptoms, high blood pressure can increase the risk for heart disease and stroke, two leading causes of death in the US. According to the American Heart Association, a higher percentage of men than women have high blood pressure until age 45. From ages 45–54 and 55–64, the percentage of men and women is similar; after that a much higher percentage of women than men have high blood pressure.

A 2017 study with a small group of healthy, adult males found that a single 600mg dose of CBD reduced blood pressure. And a 2012 study published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology reported that CBD reduced cardiovascular response to various types of stress. CBD may prove to be an effective treatment for controlling hypertension and maintaining heart health, when coupled with improvements in diet and increased exercise.

Insomnia

Many people report better sleep and decreased insomnia when they use CBD, which works by decreasing pain and anxiety. CBD also helps control the endocannabinoid system, which regulates mood and other biological processes.

So, as you have learned, there are many reasons CBD may be an ideal supplement for men’s wellness. CBD has few, if any, side effects, even at higher doses. Minor side effects may include dry mouth, low blood pressure, headache and fatigue. Often simply changing the dosage can help.

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Sunrise CBD isn’t sold in stores. Because we ship direct to you, our prices are 50% or more lower than other brands. Check it out for yourself at sunrise.com