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CBD For Pain: How CBD May Help
Pain is one of the most common reasons why people turn to CBD. Chronic or acute discomfort isn’t just physical, it can also cause psychological stress. Luckily, many people have found relief through the use of cannabinoids such as CBD and THC. CBD and the ECS The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a physiological network that may help the body stay in balance by regulating key functions such as sleep, appetite, stress, and yes—even physical discomfort. The ECS accomplishes this task with the help of endogenous cannabinoids (neurotransmitters) such as anandamide and 2AG, and phytocannabinoids (external cannabinoids) such as THC and CBD. CBD For Pain: How Might it Work? Unlike THC, which simply binds to CB1 and CB2 cell receptors across the ECS, CBD has little binding affinity for these receptors. Instead, it works by stimulating various other receptors. For example, CBD is believed to activate and then desensitize TRPV1 receptors that are known to mediate inflammation and modulate feelings of discomfort. CBD’s interaction with these receptors may prevent them from being triggered by stimuli, resulting in fewer negative sensations relaid to you by the body. CBD is also thought to prolong the life of the endocannabinoids that keep the body in balance. When these compounds finish their work, they are broken down by enzymes and recycled. But research shows that CBD may act as a breakdown inhibitor for at least one of these endocannabinoids (anandamide), potentially slowing down this process. Additionally, CBD is also believed to have the potential to manage normal inflammation. If inflammation is what is causing your aches, CBD’s effect may be able to minimize it and provide relief. Finding the Right Type of CBD Product for You Choosing the right CBD product for your needs is key to using CBD for pain as effectively as possible. CBD products can be formulated in various ways to work effectively, and the way it’s delivered to your ECS can alter how you experience its effects. Here are some product options to consider when selecting CBD for pain relief. CBD Oil CBD oils and tinctures are great because they’re easy to use and because they kick in pretty quickly. When taken sublingually, oils can take as little as 30 minutes to produce effects and tend to work for roughly 3–4 hours. If you’re looking for something with a fairly rapid onset of effects for quicker relief, CBD oil may be the way to go. CBD Topicals CBD topicals are CBD-infused balms, lotions, creams, and salves that can be applied directly to the skin in order to provide localized relief in trouble spots. Topicals sink deep into the skin’s layers to work locally through your pores, without ever reaching the bloodstream—and thereby producing no systemic effects. Many people use CBD topicals to alleviate sore muscles and joint problems. Just tuck a tub away in your gym bag or work bag and have an easy-to-use CBD topical on hand whenever aches or soreness may strike. CBD Edibles and Capsules CBD edibles and capsules take quite a bit longer to work when compared to oils. Because they need to go through the digestive process before they take effect, edible CBD products can take as long as 2 hours to kick in, with relieving effects sometimes reaching their peak around 3–4 hours after ingestion. The advantage to edibles is that, due to this slower digestive process, their effects can also last quite a bit longer. It’s not uncommon for people to report feeling the effects of an edible for as long as 6–8 hours. If you’re looking for longer lasting relief, CBD edibles and capsules may be a great choice. It’s estimated that 20% of Americans struggle with chronic discomfort. CBD may be able to help alleviate your symptoms. If you’re looking for a selection of high-quality and trustworthy CBD products for pain, we're here to help!
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Here’s What Happened When I Used CBD Before & After a Workout
written by Seth Lorinczi As a moderately dedicated fitness buff, I tend to stick to the basics when it comes to working out: I warm up and cool down, stay hydrated and pay attention to the signals my body sends me. But while I’d read a little bit about CBD benefits before—how it might help me tame stress, mostly—I hadn’t really thought about adding it to my self-care and exercise regimen. Believe me: I’m glad I did. In today’s post, I’ll share a little about my experience using CBD before and after working out. The effects were subtle in some ways—and very profound in others. But after experiencing the gentle way it soothed my muscles before and after exercise, I’m convinced that CBD for workout recovery is an essential part of the equation. Here’s what I learned. CBD Before Workout: Loosening and Limbering from the Inside Out I already knew that CBD is a cannabinoid, or a plant-based compound derived from either cannabis or its cousin, hemp. Because CBD isn’t intoxicating (that cannabinoid is THC), I knew that it wouldn’t make me feel “high.” But I wondered if I would feel anything at all using it to prepare my muscles for exercise. I tried both a CBD topical and a CBD oil ingestible. My sense was that they both worked in subtle ways to instill a very gentle sense of calm and preparedness. It wasn’t a huge revelation or a shift in perspective, but I found it quietly grounding. Because I can suffer from performance anxiety around workouts or other challenges, this sense of inner relaxation really helped set me up for deeper and more demanding workouts without worrying that I’d overdo it. By the same token, I was actually grateful that the effects of the CBD were so subtle. I find that some products—like so-called “heat rubs”—are overly distracting, blocking normal pain signals and leading me to overexert myself. By comparison, I found that CBD didn’t completely numb the normal discomfort I associate with a good workout. It just turned down the volume of hair. CBD After Workout: Loosening and Limbering from the Inside Out CBD helped set me up for better workouts and it really came into its own after I was finished exercising. I’m familiar with what some personal trainers call "Delayed onset muscle soreness," or “DOMs.” It’s the usual stiffness and soreness that appears after hard physical exertion, and while I know it’s not anything to really worry about, it can be uncomfortable. Well, guess what? Using CBD after a workout—again, in topical or edible CBD oil formats—made a huge difference in my experience of muscle strain. It didn’t disappear completely, and again, to be clear: it was never excruciating to begin with. But CBD really helped loosen up my tired muscles, offering a subtle and long-lasting sense they were healing and well supported. Later, I wondered if part of this effect was due to something besides what the CBD was doing for my muscles. And it turns out that over and above the potential for CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties, it’s been shown to tame stress and improve sleep quality. I can’t be 100% sure, but my guess is that it’s these qualities that helped give me that feeling of relaxation and confidence in my own body. I can tell you this much: It made a huge difference in the way I approached each post-implementation workout. My body felt ready to tackle a new day of fitness. Now that I know there’s a gentle and plant-based medication I can lean on, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be my go-to workout buddy for the foreseeable future. Do you have other questions about using CBD for workout recovery? Just ask! We’re here to help.
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Separating Fact from Fiction: CBD and the Placebo Effect
If you know Papa & Barkley, you know that we’re passionate about CBD news and the potential of this all-natural plant medicine to reduce age-related aches, support faster muscle recovery, and even foster a natural state of calm and wellbeing. Today, we’re especially excited to share recent CBD research that offers new and fascinating insights into the placebo effect and how it affects our experience of acute pain. If you’re interested in how to leverage cannabis as a gentle and sustainable response to physical discomfort—even including acute pain—this post is for you. CBD for Pain Relief: The Experience of Acute Pain Like it or not, pain is a part of life. While pain can be bothersome, it’s helpful to think of it as an essential warning system that tells us when something threatens our physical health and safety. Even so, when we’re experiencing pain—especially high-volume acute pain—it can feel like the warning came too late. There are many pharmacological responses to pain, ranging from gentle homeopathic remedies such as massage to more intense medicines like opioids, all with their own pros and cons. The reason we focus so keenly on CBD here at Papa & Barkley is a very personal one: Our best-in-class topical Releaf Balm helped our founder’s father overcome debilitating back pain. That’s because CBD can promote our bodies’ natural ability to regulate pain, reducing pain by helping modulate the actions of signaling and repair cells. CBD also impacts pain-perception mechanisms in the brain by stimulating receptors to dampen the signals of pain. What Is the Placebo Effect? How Placebo and CBD Work Together A moment ago, we mentioned the placebo effect. What is the placebo effect? Simply put, it’s a phenomenon whereby a pharmacologically inert substance—such as a sugar pill—stimulates healing effects simply because the subject believes it will improve their health. It’s a fascinating quirk of our physiology, and it’s 100% real. So, what does this have to do with CBD? As we mentioned earlier, CBD exerts effects on our experience of pain. But as recent CBD research from Syracuse University suggests, part of its efficacy also comes from the power of the placebo effect. Let us explain. We tend to think of the experience of pain as being a single variable, like when doctors ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 1 to 10. But as Martin De Vita—one of the authors of the study—explained in an interview: “If you think of pain as the noxious noise coming from a radio, the volume can represent the intensity of the pain, while the station can represent the quality.” In other words, how the discomfort feels on a qualitative level is different from how severe it is. And as the study found, CBD—in addition to reducing the severity of some types of pain—had an effect on the quality of the pain, making it less unpleasant and more manageable. Echoing the findings of other clinicians, De Vita points out that it’s important to know where your CBD actually comes from. At Papa & Barkley, we make our award-winning CBD products from 100% USA-grown hemp plants, then triple test it for purity and safety. Our complete line of Releaf products—including topicals, capsules and drops— are thoughtfully formulated to ease discomfort and support your body’s natural ability to regulate pain. In Conclusion: More Evidence for CBD’s Ability to Soothe Discomfort The role hemp and cannabis play in relieving discomfort is complex, and research is currently underway to illuminate how cannabis terpenes (the aromatic “essential oils” that give hemp and cannabis plants their unique aromas and flavors) and other active compounds in the plants might be impacting its efficacy. But one thing is clear: This latest study adds weight to the notion that CBD helps us manage physical discomfort in several different—but complementary—ways. Do you have other questions about the placebo effect or using CBD for acute pain?Reach out anytime; we’re always here to help!
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The Best CBD Products for Muscle Recovery and How to Use Them
Wintertime may make you want to curl up by the warm fire, but for us, wellness is a year-round passion. Especially during the colder months, post-workout muscles need extra love and support. That’s why a growing number of fitness buffs and athletes are turning to the all-natural plant power of CBD for muscle recovery. If you’re interested in treating your body right this season, today’s post is for you. Take a deep dive into the reasons why muscles become sore after working out, how cold weather may change your workout routine and some potential CBD benefits that may make all of this more easeful. CBD for Muscle Recovery: Why Do We Get Sore After a Workout? No matter what kind of exercise or wellness routine you subscribe to—yoga, cycling, or tennis, to name just a few—you’ve probably noticed that certain muscles can feel strained and achy afterward, especially if it’s been a little while since your last workout. The reason for this, typically, is something called delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMs. The good news: DOMs are a completely healthy and normal reaction to exercise. It’s the byproduct of the natural breakdown of muscle fibers as they adapt to a new and stronger configuration. Unless you’re experiencing severe discomfort—in which case you should take a break from your workout routine until the sensation subsides—exercise and the potential achiness that follows are worth the mild discomfort. If your muscles are sore, many experts recommend gentle exercise to build your endurance and post-workout stretching to reduce the discomfort of sore muscles. There’s another way to help those achy muscles relax, too: our topical balm or CBD oil, such as the popular Releaf options. You may have used topical “heat rub” products such as Mentholatum or Bengay, which produce a characteristic sensation of heat or prickliness on the skin. Some fitness experts aren’t so keen on them, arguing that they essentially numb or distract us. Why Might CBD Work Better for Muscle Relief? By contrast, CBD interfaces with our bodies on a much deeper level, thanks to a network called the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). While it was only identified in the 1990s, researchers now believe it is one of the body’s principal regulatory systems. The ECS works with the natural chemicals known as cannabinoids. Some of them, known as endocannabinoids, are produced in the body. Others are found in—you guessed it—either the cannabis plant or its cousin, hemp. You’re already familiar with at least one of them: CBD. Cannabinoids such as CBD are unusually effective at eliciting effective anti-inflammatory responses because they “speak the same language” as the body’s own chemical signals. Some researchers believe that this is a key to understanding why cannabis helps modulate our bodies’ natural responses to soreness and strain. In fact, it’s the major reason Papa & Barkley exists in the first place: To use the gentle, sustainable power of CBD to make a positive and lasting difference in people’s lives. CBD Benefits: Adjusting for Colder Temperatures If you live in a warm climate, you may find that winter doesn’t have much of an impact on your soreness after a workout. But for the rest of us, the cold usually negatively impacts our muscle discomfort. According to some fitness experts, during this time of the year it’s not uncommon to feel extra tightness and soreness around working out. If that’s the case, we recommend you spend a little extra time warming up before an intense workout, and potentially use a slightly increased CBD dose to access the same soothing, anti-inflammatory benefits that you experience during the warmer months. Do you have other questions about using CBD for muscle recovery? Just ask! We’re here to help.
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How CBD Topicals May Support Our Aging Bodies
If you’ve heard about CBD, it could be for potential benefits ranging from reducing stress to fostering deeper sleep. Here’s another possible use for those of us who are contending with the inevitable challenges of aging. From CBD for back pain to revelations about CBD for sleep, this plant-based powerhouse is rewriting the book on how we navigate life in an older body. In today’s post, we’ll share how a growing number of us are leveraging the power of CBD topicals to put a new spin on the aging process. What is CBD? Your Body’s All-Natural Partner in Wellness How does CBD support us as we age? Much of the answer comes down to one of the body’s little-known regulatory networks: The Endocannabinoid System (ECS). Though it wasn’t even identified until the 1990s, it’s now believed that the ECS helps modulate such critical functions as pain, memory, sleep, immune response, and others still. If the word “endocannabinoid” looks familiar, you’re on to something. That’s because CBD is a cannabinoid: A plant-based compound that “speaks the same language” as our body’s own regulatory system. When it’s incorporated into a CBD topical—such as our award-winning Releaf Balm—it works in partnership with the ECS system in our body. How might you use a CBD topical cream for aging? Let’s start with some real-life examples of CBD’s potential to relieve muscle soreness and discomfort. CBD for Back Pain: A Real-Life Example Before Papa & Barkley was California’s leading CBD topical brand, our founder Adam Grossman had a very personal mission: Helping his father manage debilitating back pain. That very first batch changed everything, giving Adam’s dad his quality of life back and changing the course of Adam’s life forever. Of course, creating a CBD topical wasn’t a shot in the dark. A number of clinical studies point to its effectiveness in both addressing pain and even improving overall quality of life. Other studies suggest that like its cousin cannabinoid THC, CBD may be a powerful anti-inflammatory, helping to potentially even modulate pain signals in the brain. How to Use CBD Topicals It can be difficult to know how much CBD topical to apply when you have a jar of balm or a bottle of oil in front of you. We suggest applying a dime-size amount of product directly to each specific sore or strained target area. An “area” could be a calf, a knee, a shoulder, etc. Wait an hour or so to assess the effects of your application on each target area. Affects are generally felt within 15 minutes, but all bodies are different, so it’s best to ensure you are needing more relief before applying more product. You can reapply as needed throughout the day to maintain the desired relief. Our family of CBD topical products includes balm and body oil. The focus of our topical products is penetration to provide relief, but we work hard to formulate our products so they work well with your skin and address your specific needs for relief. For example, people who are wanting coverage for a large area of the body—say, the whole upper back for example—may prefer body oil as their ideal application method. Do you have other questions about CBD skin care or CBD-based muscle recovery? Just ask! We’re always here to help!
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How to Add CBD to Your Daily Wellness Routine
Have you felt the benefits of CBD but wondered if taking it every day is a good idea? In the past few years, a wealth of clinical studies have demonstrated the potential benefits of daily CBD, from lending us support when we’re feeling stressed to helping us decrease the blues, and even helping us contend with cramps. As many of us are finding, when you take CBD daily, you reap long-term benefits. But as both our common sense (and recent studies) suggest, not all CBD is created equal. Where your CBD supplement comes from as well as how it’s grown, harvested, and processed all make a big difference in its effectiveness. Here at Papa & Barkley, we believe that for our products to be good for you, they have to be good for everyone: Our customers, our workers, and our neighbors. So with that in mind, we’d like to share some of the reasons why adding CBD to routine activities such as exercise, yoga, and your sleep hygiene routine can support lasting health and wellness. Benefits of Daily CBD: The Power of Regular Support If you’ve ever visited our CBD Blog, you probably know that CBD—like THC, the compound responsible for the cannabis plant’s psychoactive “high”—is a cannabinoid, or one of the major “active ingredients” of cannabis and its plant cousin, hemp. And as such, it interacts with our bodies through the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a vital regulatory network that helps our bodies stay healthy, regulate memory and sleep, and maintain homeostasis, among other functions. Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t make you feel “high.” Instead, most users report a very gentle cerebral “buzz” or no noticeable cerebral shifts—just an ability to feel more calm, grounded, and centered. Given what we know about the role of the endocannabinoid system, that shouldn’t come as a major surprise. After all, all the processes we named a moment ago—immune function, sleep, and memory, for a start—work best when we’re feeling balanced and well regulated. That’s a major reason why many people feel that using a CBD supplement on an ongoing basis is best for their wellbeing. To cite one example, a 2019 study found that taking CBD for at least a month had a significant effect on reducing social anxiety disorder (SAD) among a group of teens. Another study on the use of CBD daily for sleep disorders found significant improvements after long-term dosing. Of course, with any supplement it’s wise to consider potential long-term risks. That said, study after study suggests that CBD is a safe, non-toxic, and well-tolerated compound. When taken daily in CBD oil, CBD gummies, or CBD softgel or capsule formats, they can support our wellness on an ongoing basis with minimal side effects and at relatively low doses. Using a Daily CBD Supplement: Choosing a Format Unlike our original (and award-winning!) CBD Releaf Balm, ingestible CBD works on the principle that cannabinoids such as CBD are just as effective systemically inside our bodies. That said, there are differences between using CBD topicals and CBD ingestibles. Because the medicine in cannabis ingestibles is processed through the stomach and liver, the onset time—or delay until it begins working—can take up to 90 minutes, and effects are long-lasting; up to 8 hours. So for best results, when you use a CBD ingestible such as our CBD Releaf Capsules, we suggest you wait at least 90 minutes before taking another dose. For even more incremental dosing, you can take CBD in liquid form, as with our CBD Releaf Oil. Because it’s offered in an easy-to-dispense oil format, there are a couple of advantages. For one thing, they offer even more flexible control over a standard capsule dosing size. For another, you can use these drops to add the power of CBD to your favorite foods or beverages. Just dispense one to two dropperfuls (1-2 ml), mix, and enjoy! Do you have more questions about specific CBD formats? In this next section, we’ll respond to specific questions we frequently receive from customers. FAQ: Common Questions About Taking CBD Daily Q: How often can I take CBD? A: As numerous studies suggest, using a CBD supplement daily poses low risk of toxicity or adverse effects. Q: How often can I take CBD oil? A: Many of our customers use CBD daily. Because CBD has been shown to be safe and generally well-tolerated, we recommend you start with a 1ml dose, then increasing over time for desired relief from symptoms. Q: How often can I take CBD gummies?Q: What’s a good CBD daily dosage? A: We recommend you start by taking two CBD gummies once a day, then increasing the dosage as needed. We recommend a consistent, daily CBD routine as this helps increase the efficacy of the product and produces noticeable long-term results. Q: What’s a good CBD daily dosage? A: Because everyone’s body is different, there’s no single recommended dosage. If you’re using a CBD oil, we recommend taking one to two dropperfuls, then repeating as needed throughout the day. For capsules, we recommend a single capsule at a time, also repeated as needed throughout the day. Taking CBD Daily: Why Pure, All-Natural Medicine Matters At Papa & Barkley, we’re committed to harnessing the full power of plants as simply and safely as possible. Our whole-plant infusions contain the full spectrum of terpenes and cannabinoids present in each and every plant we harvest. And we’re committed to solventless extraction, which minimizes the impact of production on our people (and our planet!). Do you have other questions about taking CBD daily? Just ask! We’re here to help.
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CBD and Exercise: How to Leverage the Power of CBD Pre-Workout
If you follow Papa & Barkley’s CBD Wellness Blog, you probably already know how CBD can help us reduce stress and foster deeper relaxation. But in addition to all these calming and nourishing benefits, there’s one you might not be aware of: The mutually supportive links between CBD and better exercise recovery. As a growing number of professional and amateur athletes are learning, a dose of CBD pre-workout can help ease the natural inflammation that often follows exertion. And thanks to the chefs at the P&B Kitchen, we’ve got a whole new (and uniquely delicious) way to access CBD on the go. Introducing CBD Releaf Gummies, which we humbly believe are the best CBD gummies on the market today. If you’re looking to boost your wellness and support muscle recovery the natural way, today’s post is one you won’t want to miss! CBD and Working Out: The Source of Post-Workout Inflammation We’ve known that using CBD pre-workout may have benefits for quite some time now. As early as 2009, researchers were investigating the cannabinoid’s potential to impact our natural inflammatory response and support immune system functioning. Still, it’s only with the advent of expertly made, consistent and sustainable offerings such as our original and award-winning Releaf Balm or our potent and effective CBD Ingestibles that larger numbers of us are tuning in to the potential for CBD to support their fitness. How does CBD work? It all comes down to chemistry, and how our bodies leverage the power of this truly game-changing compound. CBD is the second most common cannabinoid—or “major active ingredient”—in cannabis and its cousin, the hemp plant. And it’s designed to partner with our bodies, literally. As we’ve written previously, the endocannabinoid system (or ECS) allows cannabinoids to “speak the body’s language.” In the ECS, cannabinoids such as CBD interact with specialized receptor cells to elicit a surprisingly wide range of effects. A large and growing body of evidence suggests CBD can support the reduction of normal inflammation and partners with the immune system to help modulate our experience of pain, sensory perception, and other crucial bodily functions. What’s more, it appears that exercise stimulates the endocannabinoid system. This in turn may boost levels of our own natural cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids, to support pain-relief and anti-inflammatory responses in the body. Speaking of inflammation, why do we tend to feel sore after a workout in the first place? In the majority of cases, it’s caused by what’s known as "delayed onset muscle soreness," or “DOMs.” In the past, many athletes turned to so-called “heat rubs” such as Bengay or Ebanel, despite the fact that many fitness experts believe there’s little evidence they really work. Using CBD pre-workout, by comparison, gives our muscles a concentrated dose of this powerful and natural anti-inflammatory. And whether you access it through topicals or ingestibles, the place it all comes together is in the endocannabinoid system. Now that you know the science behind using CBD pre-workout, what about actually using it? That’s the perfect opportunity for us to talk about CBD dosage. CBD Pre-Workout: Finding Your Best Dosage You might be wondering just how much CBD is needed to relax muscles. Because everyone’s body is different, there’s no single recommended dosage. If you’re using an ingestible such as our CBD Releaf Oil, we recommend taking one to two dropperfuls, then repeating as needed throughout the day. For our CBD Releaf Capsules, we recommend a single capsule at a time, also repeated as needed throughout the day. If you’re using them pre-workout, we recommend you take them at least 30 minutes before exercising. Then there are CBD topicals, including our Releaf Balm and Releaf Body Oil. Crafted from pure CBD mixed with such ingredients such as eucalyptus, tea tree, and lavender, these products deliver the healing power of CBD right to the source. We recommend you gently massage them into sore spots for 15 seconds or more. Again, waiting a short time before working out will give these products a chance to get to work, but it isn’t strictly necessary to pause. And now there’s an all-new way to access Papa & Barkley CBD for exercise: Introducing our CBD gummies! Our Best CBD Gummies: Targeted, Effective Relief from Symptoms If you can’t tell, we’re thrilled to announce a whole new way to combine CBD and exercise: Our CBD Releaf Gummies. Handcrafted in small batches, these gummies are vegan and free of gluten and soy. Relying on our own premium solventless CBD, they deliver effective, sustainable support to help your muscles get ready to workout (and recover more quickly afterwards). As with all ourCBD ingestibles, our CBD gummies deliver precise doses of cannabinoids for consistent and predictable outcomes. Each gummy contains 15mg of pure CBD. Start by taking two gummies once per day, then increase the dosage as needed. We recommend a consistent, daily CBD routine as this helps increase the efficacy of the product and produces noticeable long-term results. CBD Gummies for Exercise and More: Specific Applications What can products such as our CBD gummies address? Here’s a brief list of some top concerns, and how CBD can help support your overall health and wellness. Discomfort: In addition to helping manage the body’s normal inflammation levels, CBD works to modulate pain signals in the brain and studies suggest it may improve overall quality of life for those managing chronic discomfort Healthy Aging: A growing body of evidence suggests that the ECS plays a large role in maintaining healthy skin tone Joint Stiffness: A number of clinical studies suggest CBD may prevent nerve damage and joint pain Recovery: As we referenced earlier, CBD may exert reduction in normal inflammation and support post-workout recovery Wellness: Though it has many connotations, one important aspect of “wellness” is “good sleep.” And a number of studies point to CBD’s ability to foster deeper sleep. What’s more,another study found that those who used CBD experienced a reduction in anxiety and depression, decreased pain, and an overall improvement in their sense of wellness CBD and Exercise: Wrapping Up We’re incredibly proud to be California’s #1 cannabis topicals brand! It’s an honor we take seriously, and it drives us to be as transparent as possible about our ingredients and our processes. That’s a major reason we share Our Process and our Certificates of Analysis. We make them available because we consider ourselves beholden to some very important people: The tens of thousands of people who rely on our products every single day. At Papa & Barkley, we’re committed to harnessing the power of plants as simply and safely as possible so that our whole-plant infusions contain the full spectrum of terpenes and cannabinoids present in each and every plant we harvest. Our solventless extraction techniques produce a pure oil that’s as naturally rich in cannabinoids and terpenes. We believe that for our products to be good for you, they have to be good for everyone: Our customers, our workers, our neighbors and the planet. Do you have other questions about CBD and exercise (or any other CBD or cannabis-related topics)? Just ask! We’re here to help.
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Surprising Ways Cannabis Can Help You Achieve Your Health Goals
My, how times have changed! Only a few years ago, many people described cannabis as a “gateway drug,” one that inevitably led to physical (and even moral) decline. Fortunately for those of us who believe in the many possible health benefits of cannabis use, a wealth of clinical studies supports a simple truth: There are many potential medical benefits of cannabis, and this ancient, all-natural plant medicine is helping millions of us to get fit, boost our happiness, and achieve our health goals. In today’s post, we’ll run down just a few of the benefits of cannabis. Let’s begin with a refresher on CBD and THC, the two major “active ingredients” in cannabis, and how each impacts our bodies and minds. Understanding the Concept of the Cannabinoid CBD If you know anything about cannabis, it’s probably that it gets you “high.” The truth is more complicated than that. But there’s much more to cannabis than just THC, the cannabinoid known for psychoactive effects. You’ve probably heard of CBD, the second-most prevalent cannabinoid. While some people find it imparts a very mild “buzziness,” CBD doesn’t get you high. What’s more, it’s associated with many of the potential medical benefits of cannabis, including: Treating sore or overstretched muscles Easing stress and nerves Improving the quality of our sleep While most strains of cannabis contain both THC and CBD, a few enterprising companies—including yours truly—are harnessing cutting-edge technology and the goodness of whole-plant medicines to create products designed to deliver the benefits of cannabis using only CBD. How might they help you achieve your health goals? Let us count the ways! Health Benefits of Cannabis Use: Yoga, Exercise, and Working Out Because CBD is so effective at treating overworked muscles, it’s especially useful as a topical treatment right before and/or after a workout. Applied directly to tender muscles, products such as our original Releaf Balm and Releaf Body Oil deliver potent and lasting relief in a relatively short period of time. Then there’s the gentle focusing and energizing effects of CBD. As we’ve shared before, using cannabis with or without THC can help us deepen our wellness routines and quests for self improvement. Many fans find that it sharpens focus and concentration, allowing us to better tune in to the subtle signals our bodies send during exertion. Health Benefits of Cannabis Use: Treating Stubborn Stress “Being well” isn’t just about working out. Especially in the midst of a global pandemic, many of us grapple with heightened stress and nerves. And while researchers are still unlocking the secrets of cannabinoids such as CBD, a growing number of studies point to its usefulness in combating stress and similar symptoms. One test designed to simulate the challenges of public speaking found that moderate doses of CBD proved effective in reducing subjects’ stress. And, as a recent large-scale study demonstrated, there’s a large body of anecdotal evidence suggesting that many of us get lasting relief from stress through CBD products. Medical Benefits of Cannabis: Potential Support for Weight Loss Here’s a potential benefit of cannabis that may surprise you. In stark contrast to lingering stereotypes about cannabis’ association with the “munchies,” a large-scale study from 2019 suggested that those who enjoy cannabis are less likely to be overweight or obese. Researchers analyzed the body mass index (BMI) of some 33,000 participants. Overall findings showed: “Cannabis users, even those who just started, were more likely to be at a normal, healthier weight and stay at that weight.” Now, that’s some news you can really—as they say—stick in your pipe and smoke! As every body is a little different, we offer various strengths so you can find the perfect fit. Do you have any other questions about the medical benefits of cannabis? Just ask! We’re here to help you achieve your happiest, healthiest self!
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Does CBD Help With Menstrual Cramps? What You Need to Know
If THC is the cannabinoid that grabs all of the headlines for its psychoactive effects, research suggests CBD may be even more impactful. The “second cannabinoid” in cannabis may not impart the euphoria of THC, but it’s hard at work with thousands of people using it everyday to help relieve inflammation and discomfort or to soothe stress. And increasingly, many women are turning to CBD for menstrual pain. Does CBD help with menstrual cramps? As a growing body of research suggests, CBD’s natural anti-inflammatory properties may present a gentler and more effective remedy than the NSAIDS and other drugs typically recommended for menstrual cramps. Not only that, but CBD may also help us find better sleep, which in turn helps us stay positive even when we’re not feeling our best. Here’s the story. CBD, Menstrual Cramps, and You Even though menstrual pain—medically known as dysmenorrhea—is a frustratingly common symptom, researchers aren’t entirely sure of its exact cause. What is known is that a high percentage of women experience menstrual pain, and that many current remedies aren’t completely effective at controlling it. That’s where CBD may have a role to play. One 2019 review found that, because of its demonstrated ability to help relieve inflammation, stress, and sleeplessness, CBD may be a viable treatment for many of the symptoms associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS), of which menstrual cramps are a major component. These are positive initial findings, however more clinical research is needed to fully understand how CBD’s interactions with the endocannabinoid system and other bodily symptoms impact female fertility and PMS symptoms. CBD for Cramps: Treating the Body, Not Just the Symptom While this post is focused on CBD for menstrual pain, it’s important to point out that when it comes to complex syndromes such as PMS, it’s not unusual for several symptoms—such as headache, lower back pain, or bloating—to present all at once. That’s why CBD’s potential to help improve sleep is so crucial. If you or someone you love suffers from PMS, you know that any of these symptoms by themselves can disrupt our sleep. And when our bodies don’t have an opportunity to rest and naturally recharge, it can lead to a potentially disruptive “cascade effect.” CBD can help. As we’ve written previously, studies suggest CBD helps lull us to sleep without resorting to sedatives or other drugs that leave us feeling groggy the next day. Instead, the cannabinoid interfaces with our endocannabinoid system, a crucial regulatory network, to elicit gentle, effective, and sustainable results. If you’re attempting to get a handle on cramps or other menstrual symptoms, having extra sleep support can make all the difference when it comes to staying rested, upbeat, and productive. We’re such big proponents of a good night’s sleep we’ve developed a whole line of products that can help you get to sleep and stay asleep. Our line of sleep solutions harness the power of CBD and are available in a variety of strengths. CBD for Menstrual Cramps: Wrapping Up With all that said, not all CBD is created equal. As many clinical studies point out, lesser-quality CBD products carry the risk of adulterants or spurious ingredients. That’s one of the major reasons we’re so focused on quality and purity here at Papa & Barkley. Building on our reputation as California’s #1 Cannabis Wellness brand, we’re proud of the natural hemp products we produce. We freely share our Certificates of Analysis because we’re beholden to some very important people: The tens of thousands of people who rely on our products every single day. You can count on our CBD Releaf Drops, available Regular and Double-Strength potencies, to be made with only the solventless infusion methods used for everything we create. It’s our pledge to you and a very important part of our process. We hope today’s post sheds light on the challenges of menstrual cramps and other symptoms (and the potential for CBD to help you manage them in a natural way). If there’s anything more you’d like to know about CBD for cramps, please don’t hesitate to ask. We’re here to help!
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