CBD as an Alternative to Medication

– Samantha Bray

It’s no secret that the popularity in CBD (cannabidiol) has been on the rise. As people are becoming more familiar with it, trying it, using it, loving it (because it’s the best, duh) there’s still so many benefits that many aren’t fully aware of yet. Pets, cancer patients, senior citizens, whomever, people everywhere are using it in lieu of taking medications.

Take my cat for example. Yes I said my cat! Though he can’t speak, human language anyway…he’s obsessed with CBD oil and has been taking it for some time now. It’s benefited him so much that he will continue to do so until the day he passes on or finally gets reincarnated into another kind of leaf chasing, sunbathing, sleep all day being.

Diego takes hemp CBD oil for his anxiety. I know that people say cats are independent creatures that don’t require much attention but not this one. He gets wildly anxious and depressed when I leave him for longer than like…5 hours. He’ll get sick and mess up my entire apartment which not only makes me feel sad for him but makes me feel sad for me because I feel like a bad pet owner. And also, I have to clean up all of his mess. Not so fun.

I’ve taken him to many different vets over the years to see if there were any underlying issues that might be causing this, but it all seems to be routed around his anxiety. I would somehow get a cat with crippling anxiety when left alone. Even though there are plenty of products such as diffusers, sprays and anti-anxiety medications for felines (and dogs too), I wanted to give him something more natural, especially if this is going to be an ongoing thing.

I did some calling around to different vets and couldn’t get a prescription for CBD oil for Diego as it’s not fully regulated for pets yet, but I did get a recommendation for him to take a low dosage to try and then wait to see the results. I was told it’s extremely important to make sure it was 100% hemp CBD oil and did not contain THC.

After researching a variety of different products and asking around, I finally got some CBD oil for him to try. 1mg in a dropper administered twice a day is what I decided to start with and low and behold…I saw results immediately!

I gave him his first dose in the morning, and the next one before I went to work later on that night. Usually, when I’d be gone for a long enough time he’d be hiding when I got home but this not time, he greeted me at the door and my apartment appeared to be unscathed! Happy him, happy me.

Another cat that I know, Taz, has been taking CBD for 2 years now. Taz was rushed to the vet back in June of 2018 because he was having difficulty breathing. After running a variety of tests and x-rays, two growths were found on his throat and lungs. It was very clear that they were most likely cancer, but it would cost approximately $2000 in tests and treatments to know for sure.

Because Taz is an older cat (14 years at the time), Taz’s mom decided to do some research on her own to find some sort of alternative to the tests and treatments. Hemp CBD oil was showing to be a popular choice in many cats and dog’s pain management as a treatment for cancer, so she decided she’d give it a try.

Taz’s mom started with 5 drops in the morning to see how it would affect him and eventually moved up to 8 drops. Within 10 days of starting on CBD oil he was a brand-new cat. His breathing was back to normal again, and his coat even became extra shiny and smooth! Taz will be 16 this year and is going strong. Though CBD isn’t fully regulated for pets yet, his vet is fully supportive of this treatment for him.

As we know, hemp CBD is obviously not just for pets but humans too. I’ve personally been taking CBD for mild anxiety symptoms and stress for just over two years now. I started because I wanted to help try to calm the nerves before public speaking and I literally swear by it now! It’s an easy way to reap some of the many benefits of cannabis, without the high.

Though I opted for a CBD vape pen, there’s a variety of different ways to intake it. Edibles, oil, tinctures, flower, you name it. Hemp CBD pre-rolls are increasing in popularity as you still get that feeling of smoking cannabis but don’t need to worry about drifting away into another realm. Low THC and high CBD, making for the perfect combination of low risk and high reward.

Another thing I can’t not mention! My adorable, little 85-year old grandmother, who was diagnosed with cancer just about a year ago, never tried cannabis even once in her lifetime, now swears by CBD oil. In order to enjoy the time that she has left, she opted to not get treatment for the cancer, but rather do what she can to relieve the symptoms. Obviously intrigued, I asked her about it, and she says,

“I never thought in my lifetime I would be one to try marijuana, and now I take it every day!”.

Though we can’t make any medical claims about the subject, she told me firsthand that it helps her sleep better and also helps to increase her appetite. Love to hear it.

If you’re new to CBD and want to give it a try in order to treat an ailment, do your research first and ask around. Talk to your doctor, or your pet’s vet. Check and see what your local dispensaries have to offer. There’s also plenty of online resources and it’s completely legal in many places, including federally in the US. What a time to be alive!