With stress on the rise even before COVID knocked us for a loop, maintaining emotional balance and a healthy mindset was finally on our radars as core components of health and longevity. The challenge for many of us, though, is finding a gentle and sustainable approach that doesn’t rely on numbing ourselves (or turning to potentially harmful pharmaceuticals). That’s a major reason why so many people are turning to CBD for mental health.

Whether in the form of CBD oil or other CBD ingestibles, this all-natural plant medicine is currently under intense study for its potential benefits, including supporting better mood and overall wellbeing. If you’re considering trying CBD for stress, here’s what the current science tells us.

CBD for Mental Health: The Concept of Cannabinoids

When it comes to using cannabis or hemp products, it’s important to understand the concept of cannabinoids and how they interact with the body. A family of compounds occurring naturally in plants, the cannabinoids include THC and CBD, the two major medically active components of the cannabis plant. THC is the cannabinoid associated with the plant’s characteristic “high,” as well as some analgesic effects that our classic Releaf Balm captures.

By comparison, CBD imparts at most an extremely mild psychoactivity, sometimes described as a gentle cerebral “buzz.” But there’s even more to CBD. Mental health and mood support are especially important as we approach two years of COVID, the cannabinoid has demonstrated a special affinity for boosting a healthy mood and vitality.

Some people labor under the misconception that CBD is merely a “medical” version of THC. In fact, the two major cannabinoids interact with our bodies in very different ways, even when they’re used to combat the same symptoms (such as aches and strains). What’s more, the oil used in our line of CBD Releaf products is made using CBD harvest from USA-grown, non-GMO hemp flowers. While it’s a close cousin of the cannabis plant, hemp doesn’t contain appreciable amounts of THC. That’s one reason our CBD products can be shipped nationwide.

So if you’ve found in the past that THC’s intoxicating buzz is distracting or otherwise unwelcome, you may find that CBD’s mild soothing effects are more to your liking.