Compared to over 50 years ago, smoking and chewing tobacco have decreased significantly. However, as of a study in 2017, there is still one in five Americans using tobacco products. There are many who believe that CBD (Cannabidiol) can help with smoking cessation. How can this help?
Why is Smoking So Addictive?
Smoking tobacco has a deep physical and psychological dependence. This combo creates a habit that is as hard to break as major drugs like cocaine. Let's take a look at each form of dependence in turn.
The action of smoking usually entails picking up a cigarette multiple times a day. It can be normal to smoke upwards of 20 cigarettes a day. This ritual becomes a part of daily life. It becomes a comfort to light up the cigarette and take a puff. Removing such a ritual from someone's daily life makes it feel like something is missing. This is a big part of psychological dependence.
Physical dependence happens throughout the body. When someone quits smoking, they can feel anxious, as well as suffering from physical maladies like headaches, nausea, and more. This is due in large part to an addiction to the nicotine that is in tobacco.
How CBD Can Help?
Since it is plain to see, with all the warnings that exist, we will not delve into reasons for quitting smoking. Rather, we will start to look at how CBD may help with quitting smoking.
According to the American Cancer Society, only about 4%-7% are able to quit smoking without some form of assistance. CBD has been shown to have a positive effect in assisting with quitting smoking. This is shown in a study in which 40% of the participants reported feeling less desire to smoke cigarettes. In the study, the participants were provided with CBD or a placebo. Those with CBD experienced less desire to smoke while those given the placebo showed no change.
One of the main reasons why CBD helps to alleviate the desire to smoke is because it interacts with the CB1 receptors. This causes the cues that would normally trigger the desire to smoke to be lessened in intensity.
Additionally, when CBD is smoked or inhaled with vape pens it satisfies the desire to light up. This is because the desire to feel the sensation of drawing on a cigarette is quelled through the same action. CBD also helps to lessen anxiety and eases tension, which is a major reason why people keep smoking.
Using CBD to Quit Smoking?
Utilizing CBD to quit smoking has become a lot easier over the years. The biggest problem is that CBD has only been approved to treat epilepsy. For this reason, there are no standards for dosing or treatment.
Using CBD oil or edibles can be a great way to maintain in a long-term setting. The CBD can be ingested at regular intervals to maintain the proper feeling throughout the day. In the short term, it is recommended to utilize something a little faster acting. This is because when ingested CBD has to be processed through the liver before you feel the effects. Usually, the process takes from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Tinctures taken sublingually, under the tongue, can act much faster. They will only take 5-20 minutes to take effect because the CBD can enter the bloodstream faster. For some, this may still be too slow.
It is recommended, when first starting on the path to quitting, to smoke a CBD joint or to use vape pens. This will satisfy the need to smoke to satisfy the psychological dependence. The CBD will take effect almost instantaneously this way as well. This will help to alleviate the physical need. In short term, It is the best solution.
Final Thoughts
No clear guidelines can be provided on what dosage should be, so start with a small dose. If it is not working, increase it until you get the results you want. It is clear to see CBD can be of assistance. Just make sure you are using CBD that is responsibly sourced and that it is less than 0.3% THC. This will help you to alleviate your physical and psychological need for smoking.
Michael Jacobs is a writer and content marketing strategist with 10+ years of experience currently enjoying his work at GotVape. His idea is to break some of the stereotypes people have towards health-providing educational pieces. He gets motivation by doing things he always assumed he can’t do but secretly wanted to try.
I Know it Helps, after 29 years of smoking Marlboro and Camel Wides, I quit Cold with a little help from Weed. Made me forget about the urges to cigarettes for Sure. Was just as useful but, didn’t Stink the Rank Butt smell.
That was in 2002, May1st. Can smell better, taste better and don’t smell like Shit. Clothes are cleaner smelling, cars, house, not worth YOUR LIFE !!! FK SMOKING CIGARETTES And Making Big Tobacco Rich while killing People Randomly.
Believe and put what cig you didn’t finish back in your pack, will help you to realize how Bad You Stink. Later, G