Medical marijuana may be a hot political issue that inspires fierce debate, but the marijuana byproduct known as CBD is much less controversial. CBD, more properly known as cannabidiol, can provide many of the health benefits of marijuana products without having a psychoactive effect, and only a few states still forbid its use. CBD has a wide range of potential uses, but it can be particularly useful for people with asthma if they take it in an edible form.
How can CBD products benefit people who suffer from asthma?
Asthma is a long-term condition that causes the airways inside your lungs to periodically become inflamed; this inflammation narrows the airways significantly and can cause serious breathing difficulties during an asthma attack. The wheezing, coughing, and excessive mucus production that asthma can cause frequently need to be controlled with medications, especially in more severe cases.
While studies into how CBD can reduce the symptoms of asthma are only just beginning, it is a fact that CBD is both an anti-inflammatory and a bronchodilator. This means it reduces inflammation and also causes the airways in your lungs to dilate and become wider—exactly the opposite of what happens during an asthma attack.
As you can imagine, these properties mean that taking CBD can provide significant relief for many asthma patients; many asthma patients take CBD products to help control the worst of their asthma. Some patients are even able to reduce their reliance on inhalers and other prescription medications using CBD products, although this should only ever be done under the close supervision of your doctor.
Why should people who suffer from asthma use edible CBD products?
Just like conventional marijuana products containing THC (the psychoactive chemical that causes a 'high'), CBD products are available in a variety of forms and can be taken in different ways. However, people with asthma should avoid smoking CBD products, as this can do much more harm than good to your fragile lungs. Although CBD products designed to be vaporized may be safer, no long term studies on the effects of vaping on lungs have been conducted, so vapes are also best avoided by asthma patients.
Edible CBD products are much more suitable for people suffering from asthma, and chemically active CBD can be infused into a surprisingly wide array of foods and drinks. CBD-infused candies, such as 25mg THC-free CBD gummy bears, are particularly popular and can be taken practically anywhere, indoors or outdoors, if you feel your asthma symptoms worsening.
Edible CBD products also have other advantages over other types of CBD products. Their effects tend to be much more long-lasting than inhaled CBD products, allowing you to moderate your dosages more effectively and save a significant amount of money. Professionally made edible CBD products also contain precisely measured amounts of CBD, making it very easy to know how much CBD you have taken.