While everyone knows that a few tokes of weed will get you high, revival of research from the ’70s has found that some compounds in the plant can help with a wide range of ailments, like chronic pain, depression, symptoms from chemotherapy, and multiple sclerosis. That’s one reason that the plant is now legal in 10 states (as of press time) and allowed to be consumed for medical purposes in another 22. The other: Huge amounts of tax money from marijuana sales are filling up state coffers—Colorado alone took in more than $247 million last year. Put simply: The marijuana market is blowing up

But it’s cannabidiol (CBD)—the straitlaced brother to the chemical in marijuana (THC) that gets you stoned—that’s been taking the nation by storm. This seemingly miraculous compound has been found to jump-start healing in your body by regulating the immune system and reducing inflammation, all without any harmful side effects. Below, we go over what you need to know about CBD oil. 

Marijuana Plant

What Every Guy Should Know About THC and CBD in We...

Get familiar with the compounds in marijuana with this explainer.

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How CBD Helped Me

Last summer, I hurt my hand trying to yank up some stuck luggage. The excruciating pain, and the advice from an orthopedist, meant that I had to stop lifting anything heavy, pretty much avoiding any exercise that required my hands.

After six weeks, my hand was feeling fine, so I started deadlifting again. Two weeks later, I tried to hoist my old working weight, but on my fourth set, a burst of pain radiated through my lower back. The next morning, I could barely roll out of bed without experiencing a wave of throbbing pain—I’d hurt my back before, but this was next-level. Struggling to even put socks on, I hobbled into the bathroom, pulled open a drawer, and grabbed some CBD cream that was sent to me for review months ago. I squirted two pumps in my palm and slathered it on my back and forgot about it. I did that twice a day for the next two days.

On the third day, I woke up feeling great, rolled out of bed with little to no pain, and was able to function normally. I was shocked. I expected a long recovery full of frustration, but I was pretty much healed after only three days. I waited one more week before going back into the gym and then did some light squats and deadlifts with hardly a twinge or notion of pain. Anecdotal evidence or not, a bottle of CBD cream or oil will now always be a part of my training regimen.

Does CBD Oil Actually Work?

Does CBD Oil Actually Work?

Or is the recent buzz much ado about nothing?

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