CBD oil has proved to be a potent medication for a variety of different medical conditions, and usage has risen dramatically in recent years. This isn’t just exclusive to the United States, however— according to new data, cannabis oil use in the UK has effectively doubled over the past year.
A Viable Treatment
According to regulatory body data, there are 250,000 CBD-users in the UK, up from the 125,000 figure recorded just last year. The Cannabis Trades Association UK claims there are around 1,000 new users every month, with around 65 percent of said users being women seeking relief for back pain, anxiety and epilepsy.
Two UK women recently revealed their success using CBD, the non-psychoactive component of the cannabis plant.
Forty-eight-year-old Lynn Cameron from South Lanarkshire, Scotland, was given six months to live before turning to the oil. After chemotherapy failed, Cameron turned to varying alternative medicines and odd diets before coming across CBD oil. She now credits the drug with saving her life.
Fifty-five-year-old Brenda Davidson, from Kirkwall, Orkney, claims mere drops of CBD oil cured her long-standing sciatica after various painkillers proved fruitless.
Additionally, 17-year old Deryn Blackwell, from Norfolk, England, recently shared his story of how cannabis saved his life following several bouts with a rare form of cancer. Deryn, however, wasn’t able to get his hands on CBD oil, but his mother was able to get him the actual plant itself, albeit, in an illegal fashion.
Regardless of legality, the plant proved to be a godsend for the then 14-year-old Blackwell.
“I was on the brink of death, I was up for doing anything,” Deryn explained. “I didn’t worry because, quite selfishly, if it didn’t work I wouldn’t be around to see what happened.”
Cannabis Oil Use In The UK Doubles
Despite the UK’s somewhat stringent approach when it comes to cannabis, the country legalized CBD use last October after admitting its wide array of medical benefits. The drug has proven to be a viable pain reliever, as well as an effective treatment for common mental conditions such as anxiety and depression.
And unlike cannabis, CBD oil contains no psychoactive side-effects, as it doesn’t contain THC, which is responsible for the “high” felt after smoking traditional weed.
Despite its recent legality, there have been some obstacles in obtaining the medicine.
For example, CBD suppliers have to obtain a license before administering the drug as a medication. However, some companies avoid the trivial process by selling CBD as a food supplement, rather than a medication.
Additionally, some sectors of the UK have avoided legalizing CBD altogether. Take Scotland, where CBD oil has yet to be approved for use on the NHS.
Despite its proven medical benefits, many officials in the UK appear to be lukewarm on full legalization because of the longstanding stigma involving cannabis. Mike Harlington, the chairman of the CTA UK, believes lack of education regarding CBD has skewed the public perception regarding the medicine.
“Products like CBD, because of where it comes from, are stigmatized despite the fact that every mammal has an endocannabinoid system and is therefore designed to use cannabinoids naturally,” Harlington said to the Daily Mail. “Cannabinoid deficiencies are starting to become understood by the medical world, and it is slowly becoming obvious that cannabinoids like CBD are actually essential for general health and wellbeing.”
Despite its unwarranted rap, it appears CBD oil is still becoming more and more of a viable treatment for UK patients. With usage doubling over the past year, look for that number to continue to rise exponentially with hard data of the miracle drug becoming increasingly available in the UK.
