Bored, nervous, stressed? Reach for cigarettes to handle any of these? Do you find yourself looking at disgust with that burning stick between your fingers and wanting to give it up, but just can't seem to do it? Quitting smoking is difficult in the best of conditions. Without help and guidance, oftentimes it results in failure.
Throughout the years, there have been dozens of programs to lead people on a path to smoking cessation. Nicotine addiction is, however, a multi-faceted problem. It requires treatment of both the physical body and a person's mental health. Some are more difficult than others. Irritability, weight gain, nausea, and so many other symptoms can arise from the process that make it seemingly easier just to keep smoking.
Perhaps the most insidious of tobacco's properties is it's addictive nature. So many people would quit for the health benefits, but can't seem to get over the hold that nicotine has on them. Once it takes root, it holds sway over so much of a person's life, including their health (physical and mental), social relationships, and even their finances!
But recent years have seen the rise of a new method of controlling some of these, and making the transition from smoker to non-smoker easier. Hemp Extracts (CBD etc.) have shown promise with treating the negative effects of quitting, and paving the way to giving someone a brighter, healthier future as a non-smoker.
How Smoking Affects Your Health
Smoking is, by and far, one of the most harmful activities to which you can subject your body. It affects nearly every organ and system in your body negatively! Here are some facts and statistics that may help motivate you to crush out the cigarettes'.
Cigarette smoking is responsible for nearly half-a-million deaths (nearly 1 out of 5) in the United States yearly.
Compared to all the deaths in war since the U.S. became a country, greater than 10 times as many deaths have occurred as the result of smoking.
9 out of 10 lung-cancer deaths are due to smoking with more women succumbing to lung cancer than breast cancer yearly.
80% of deaths from COPD are because of smoking.
We could add several more, but you get the point. It is safe to say that smoking increases the likelihood of a person meeting their early demise by more than a comfortable factor. It has been called the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.
What you gain from quitting smoking
Stopping smoking is difficult, but can pay off in dividends for your health and longevity. It can be the single biggest positive health decision you may ever make (aside from not starting in the first place). Let's look at how the body responds over time to illustrate these positive effects.
1 Hour After:
Heart Rate Lowers.
Blood Pressure begins lowering and Circulation improves.
12 Hours After:
Excess Carbon Monoxide (CO) is filtered from the body, returning to normal and allowing the body's Oxygen (O2) levels to increase.
1 Day After:
Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, Heart Disease, and Heart Attack risk all begin to drop.
Average Blood Pressures, body temperature, and pulse rate will begin to drop.
Physical activity and exercise become easier to do.
2 Days After:
The person may notice a heightened sense of taste and/or smell as these nerves and receptors begin to heal.
3 Days After:
This is when the Nicotine levels in the body have depleted to near zero. Unfortunately, this is also the point where withdrawal symptoms may begin (Moodiness, irritability, etc.) as the body copes.
1 Month After:
Lungs begin to heal and lung-capacity increases.
Endurance increases, leading to improved performance in activities like running and jumping.
9 Month's After:
The lungs have healed significantly, allowing the cilia (filtration mechanism) to perform normally.
Lung infections and coughing become less frequent.
1 Year After:
The risk of Coronary Heart Disease is cut in half, and will continue to drop.
People with severe COPD may experience the lung function gains start to level off, indicating need for further treatment of this condition.
5 Years After:
No longer exposed to artery narrowing toxins, the body will heal itself enough that arteries will begin widening again.
The risk of blood clots and Stroke lowers significantly and will continue to lower over the next 10 years or so.
10 Years After:
The risk of developing and dying from Lung Cancer are halved compared to someone that did not quit.
Risks of developing other smoking related cancers decrease.
15 Years After:
Coronary Heart Disease risks will become roughly equivalent to that of a non-smoker.
Pancreatic Cancer risk, likewise, will have reduced to roughly that of a non-smoker.
20 Years After:
Risk of smoking-related death is reduced to the same as that of a person who has never smoked.
Although some of the original damage may remain, you can see that the long journey to normalcy after taking that last puff is one that is worth it!
What is this CBD Oil of which everyone speaks?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical compound which is found in the Cannabis family of plants. It is one of over a hundred different Cannabinoids found in the plant, but it has become synonymous in popular culture with what is more correctly called Hemp Extracts within the industry. You may be familiar with another Cannabinoid, THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). It is a Cannabinoid as well. In fact, it is the substance that produces the psychoactive effects when you consume Marijuana. However, unlike THC, CBD will NOT get you high.
It is important to remember that the primary source of each compound are two different plants (even though both are found in both plants to some degree, The Marijuana (Cannabis Indica) and the Hemp (Cannabis Sativa) plants are both part of the Plant Family Cannabis, but they have widely varied purposes, differences, and uses. For this discussion, it is important to know that the primary source of THC is the Marijuana Plant, while the primary source of CBD is the Hemp plant. In fact, to be considered "legal" Hemp, the plant must contain <.3% THC by dry weight (nowhere near enough to produce psychoactive effects).
In summary, Hemp IS LEGAL, and it WILL NOT get you high!
Here is a (non complete) list of many of the benefits of Hemp Extract use:
Eases Anxiety and Depression.
Eases Chemotherapy symptoms and side-effects (such as nausea and vomiting).
Reduces muscle-spasms and decreases frequency and severity of seizures.
Helps regulate appetite.
and many others...
But how does it help me quit smoking?
Options nowadays for quitting smoking are not very plentiful. They range from quitting cold-turkey, which has it's own set of problems mostly related to withdrawal from Nicotine, to prescription medications that try to treat the chemical source of the addiction. There are also less traditional means such as hypnosis or therapy.
But a majority tell the story of weening themselves off of cigarettes' by slowly reducing the intake while the body readjusts to the absence, But this can lead to replacing one bad habit with another, like unhealthy snacking, or prescription drugs.
The thing many of these methods have in common is that they attempt to attack the root cause of the problem, the nicotine addiction itself. Use of Hemp Extracts differs slightly in that it works on the symptoms of withdrawal while you are purging the toxic chemical from your body.
For example, above we mentioned that after 3 days without smoking, you may begin to experience withdrawal symptoms, such as moodiness, appetite changes, and others. These responses are regulated in the body by what is known as an Endocannabinoid System (ECS), that works by producing chemical messengers, called Endocannabinoids, that interact with receptors (CR-1 and CR-2) on the surface of various cells of the body.
The Cannabinoids (known as Phytocannabinoids) of Hemp Extracts work within this natural system to regulate the bodies response to certain stimuli. In this case, the lack of nicotine! Thus the withdrawal symptoms are lessened to a degree, and may be more tolerable,
The bottom line being, you are not as tempted to reach for a cigarette (or nicotine gum, or a substitute drug, etc.) in order to relieve the symptoms of withdrawal!
So, How do I take it?
There are several methods of ingesting Hemp Extracts. Some work faster and most are easy to incorporate into a person's routine based on their preferences. Below are some of the more popular methods of ingestion, but certainly not the ONLY methods. Pease see a professional retailer or explore the internet to discover more.
Hemp Extract Tinctures are probably the easiest and most common method of using Extracts. The Extract (CBD Oil) is combined with another "carrier oil" and possibly a taste oil to produce the liquid. The user simply fills the medicine dropper and squeezes it out under the tongue, allowing a couple of minutes for it to absorb directly into the bloodstream. They are available. in different strengths depending on what your effective dosage is.
Hemp can be processed and produced as cigarettes, enabling users to "smoke" their Hemp Extracts, which become active by being heated in the fire. Pre- or self- rolled, you can purchase them either way. The Extract is delivered to the bloodstream through the lungs. They will contain no nicotine or harmful chemicals found in conventional cigarettes. This method may be beneficial to someone who cannot cope with the absence of the "feeling" of smoking a cigarette and they would essentially be replacing one product with another (albeit better). It is important to remember though, you are still exposing your lungs to smoke and, even though without the harmful chemicals, may still have some consequence to the lungs.
Vaping has grown to be more and more popular in recent years. It is seen as a "safer" alternative to smoking cigarettes since you can control (somewhat) the type of vape oil you purchase, and its ingredients. Although, it is still at its core, the addictive chemical nicotine.
Hemp Extracts can be easily processed to produce "vape oil" that can be used in place of traditional products. It can be flavored also as the nicotine based oils can be. Although caution is warranted by the consumer, the use of generally more natural ingredients (without artificial preservatives or flavors/colors, etc.) Hemp "vape juice" is a generally safer product to use.
A popular method of consuming Extracts is by taking it in edibles such as Gummie candies. The Oils are mixed in with the ingredients and are given a familiar and pleasant flavor that many find more appealing. They are also convenient, and can be kept on hand and used for a "boost" when needed. Like tinctures, these candies can come in different strengths based on the users needs and recommended dosage.
Just Nicotine addiction? Or can it work on other types?
The scourge of addiction has held a grip on this country for decades. It extends not only from Nicotine (probably the most common) to other substances, like Alcohol and Legal and Illegal drugs.
Let's examine a terrible problem, the Opioid crisis. Millions of people today are affected by the grip that Opioid's have on their lives. It is a very powerful addiction to quell. They can range in form from the most illegal form of it, Heroin, to perfectly legal painkillers (like the popular Oxycontin) that are obtained by prescription. The common thread being, the user wants some relief from the pain which they are suffering.
Recovery from this addiction is tough on the user, and equally as disastrous on the family and friends that are trying to help their loved one. It can produce long-term rifts in relationships, financial difficulties, and even worse, suicides and death of the addict.
Help can come in the form of recovery and treatment programs, and there are even artificially created substances that are designed to lessen the need for the opioid's. However, these carry their own risks and stigmas (think about the Methadone Clinic).
Enter Hemp Extracts. Perhaps not a cure all, but they can be a powerful addition to the toolbox of those that deal with this issue on a daily basis. They can help, similarly to nicotine addiction, by lessening the effects of the withdrawal from the opioid drug. The addict will obviously require other care and supervision (thee are powerful drugs), but using Hemp Extracts can make the journey a little more tolerable. More studies will be needed, but what has been done has shown a great deal of promise.
In Conclusion
To summarize, YES, Hemp can help! The pain and stain of addiction has taken root in our society and we owe it, not only to ourselves, but to the addicts and families, to use every means at our disposal to fight this.
Nowhere is this more true than with the epidemic of smoking. Granted, it has decreased some over the last few decades, but smoking (and nicotine addiction) is still responsible for half-a-million (likely preventable) deaths in this country yearly. Not to mention the effect on health-care costs, human toll, and sickness related to it. You don't even have to smoke directly to be affected by it (second-hand smoke).
But does breaking the cycle of lighting one cigarette after the next only involve a long painful road of withdrawal symptoms and damaged relationships? No, it doesn't have to. Nature has provided us with a helping hand, in the form of the Hemp Plant and its Extracts (Cannabinoids). All we need do is reach out and take hold of it.
"Please tell us what you think below!"
SOURCES:
Can Hemp Help You Quit Smoking; QuitSmokingWorld.com, uncredited, undated.
Want to Quit Smoking? Study Says CBD Oil Can Help; by Xavier Francusk, undated.
CBD Oil For Quitting Smoking – does it work?; QuitSmokingWorld.com, uncredited, undated.
What happens after you quit smoking?; Medically reviewed by Timothy J. Legg, Ph.D., CRNP — Written by Jenna Fletcher on November 19, 2018.
How Your Body Heals After You Quit Smoking; By Terry Martin, Medically reviewed by Armeen Poor, MD, Updated on April 03, 2020
Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking; CDC.gov, last reviewed August 28, 2020.
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