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CBD can do many wondrous things for your health: help you sleep, ease your pain, quell your nausea, even clear your mind and help you to focus. Cannabidiol (CBD) has shown a real aptitude for many of life’s ailments as an effective treatment for injuries, illnesses and mental health conditions. Modern living seems to be indebted to CBD in more ways than we ever would have thought imaginable, and as more and more Canadians are finding new uses for this particular cannabinoid, cannabis stigma continues to become a thing of the past.
There are so many ways to incorporate Cannabidiol into your daily health routines, but have you ever wondered if CBD can lower blood pressure? Cannabinoids obviously absorb into the blood stream through inhalation, digestion or absorption, so we know that cannabis can influence your blood in a number of ways. But we still have to wonder: does CBD lower blood pressure?
There have been a number of studies in recent years that are aimed at discovering the exact, direct-links between cannabinoids like THC & CBD and how they affect your blood pressure, blood sugars and healthy cell counts. We might not have an exact answer yet, but we’ll review all of the latest findings and discuss what the current theories are about weed and blood pressure.
We’ll ask the big question again: can CBD lower your blood pressure all on its own? Or is there more to the relationship between weed & blood pressure? Let’s find out together in this guide to managing blood pressure with Cannabidiol.
WEED & BLOOD PRESSURE
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a condition that affects millions of people around the world. In Canada, around a quarter (23%) of all adults aged 20 to 80 experienced hypertension in varying degrees of severity. This is a staggering figure because it suggests that a quarter of all Canadian adults suffer from high blood pressure.
There are four different stages of high blood pressure, but they can be difficult to detect on your own because they affect every person differently. The four levels of blood pressure are:
Normal
Elevated
Stage 1 Hypertension
Stage 2 Hypertension
Blood pressure is measured by two terms: systolic and diastolic. Systolic measurements focus on the force required to pump blood vessels through the heart as it contracts. Diastolic measures pressures of force on the heart when it relaxes. Think of these readings as measuring inhales/exhales, except instead of your lungs we’re talking about your heart contracting and relaxing.
Back to the four levels of blood pressure readings, here are the parameters for systolic/diastolic at each stage of blood pressure:
Normal blood pressure levels are around 120 for systolic / under 80 for diastolic.
Elevated blood pressure levels occur 121-129 systolic, under 80 diastolic
Stage 1 Hypertension occurs between 130-139 systolic, 81-89 diastolic
Stage 2 Hypertension can happen over 140 systolic, over 90 diastolic
What are the risks associated with high blood pressure? Strokes, heart attacks and other serious cardiac conditions are elevated in patients suffering from high blood pressure. These might be the most serious results if you don’t manage your blood pressure, but there are many more debilitating symptoms. These include:
Headaches, dizziness
Confusion, loss of vision
Chest pains, shortness of breath
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
Blood pressure is very important to maintain a healthy range. In order to avoid symptoms like those listed above, you need to eat healthy, exercise, sleep consistently and avoid hitting your vices too hard. The most notable causes of hypertension and elevated blood pressure are listed below:
Genetics – sometimes your genealogy makes you more susceptible to higher blood pressure
Diabetes – metabolic conditions like diabetes can adversely impact your battle with high blood pressure
Thyroids – hypothyroidism and hyperthyroid conditions can influence blood pressure one way or the other
Diet – high salt, low potassium, excesses of caffeine, alcohol, smoking and too many sugary snacks can all lead to elevated blood pressure symptoms
Fitness – obesity, lack of exercise and chronic injuries from sports or workouts can contribute to blood pressure spikes
Sleep – insomnia, sleep apnea, or inconsistent rest are factors in many facets of your health, your blood pressure is not exempt
Stress – this is truly one of the leading causes of high blood pressure, and it is difficult to manage because it can be triggered by so many different things
It’s no wonder that many people are looking to cannabis to help maintain a healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels. CBD is known for relaxing your mind & body, assists in sleeping consistently and helps to ease pain, inflammation or irritation. These are some big ticket items on many people’s lists of symptoms when it comes to high blood pressure.
On the flip side, Cannabidiol is more apt at avoiding high blood pressure symptoms before they strike. In this way, CBD isn’t an effective treatment for managing your systolic/diastolic blood pressure levels, but it can contribute to reduced stress, better sleep, and lend support in the realms of eating healthy & exercising. Let’s dive into what CBD can do for your blood pressure levels in the next section.
FACT OR FICTION: Can CBD Lower Blood Pressure?
Yes, CBD does lower your pressure. That was easy. Thanks for reading this article!…
In all seriousness, there is a lot of compelling evidence that shows a distinct relationship between cannabinoids like CBD, THC and CBG having positive effects on people who suffer from high blood pressure. Does CBD lower blood pressure like most blood pressure medications do? Not exactly, but what we do know is that weed and blood pressure are linked by means of mental, emotional and physical state changes while under the influences of cannabis.
THC is known to reduce blood pressure levels over time with consistent use. This will depend on your genetics, blood pressure levels at the time of consuming THC, and the potency of cannabinoids that you’re absorbing. How does THC influence blood pressure levels? Similar to CBD, Tetrahydrocannabinol relaxes much of your body, including blood vessels.
Both THC and CBD are known to impact an important neurotransmitter called anandamide. Anandamide just so happens to affect blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels whenever pressure increases in your cardiovascular system. So, CBD interacts through your endocannabinoid system and engages with/or mimics anandamide in order to bring your blood pressure levels down. This results in a relaxed state of body and mind, which also helps to combat the effects of stress – another prominent cause of high blood pressure.
There are a lot of studies currently underway that are trying to answer the question “does CBD lower blood pressure?”. Research takes time to bring results to the general public, but what we do know so far from what has been published is that CBD can help to reduce elevated blood pressure in many indirect ways.
Unlike blood pressure medications, which directly influence your body’s blood vessels, CBD can lower blood pressure reactions in your body by triggering anandamide. CBD can lower blood pressure also by supporting good health in the areas of sleep, nutrition, fitness and relaxation. Oftentimes the major reason why we’re struggling with eating well, sleeping consistently and being active has to do with our nerves. Anxiety affects everyone in different ways, but we all suffer from it nonetheless.
One of CBD’s biggest claims to fame in recent years has to do with its anti-anxiety effects. Millions of people rely on CBD for their nervousness or anxiety because it relaxes their body, calms their mind – all without altering your mind like with the psychoactive influences of THC. One of the most significant ways CBD can help to lower blood pressure is in combating the physiological effects of stress & anxiety.
TOP CANNABIS PRODUCTS FOR MANAGING BLOOD PRESSURE
Now that you know that CBD does lower your blood pressure, it’s time to get your hands on some high quality Cannabidiol products. We’re not on the side of the fence that argues against all THC products because they can cause hallucinations, but for the purposes of this guide to weed and blood pressure we’ll stick to CBD-high products with little-to-no THC contents.
One important note on buying CBD products: full-spectrum products seem to offer the most results, no matter what kinds of remedial effects you’re after. That being said, some full-spectrum products can cause you to feel slightly brain-addled, so keep that in mind because these types contain ALL of the cannabinoids from the plant.
We recommend relying on CBD oils because they’re easy to dose with, they come in a variety of potencies to suit your needs, and they’re easy to take on-the-go. CBD edibles or even vape cartridges can work great too, we just think CBD oils are so convenient, potent and reliable.
