As a substance abuse therapist for the past two decades, I’ve been pretty skeptical about CBD.

However, as a mental health counselor for just as long, I’ve seen the effects of long-term prescription medication use – not just opiates, but anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medications like Xanax, Valium, Ativan, Klonopin, and the like. I have not been impressed with their ability to help people in many situations – especially long-term, more than six months.

Last year I started to explore the current research about cannabinoids, specifically CBD (there are a lot more cannabinoids than CBD – we are just beginning to learn about them). I started asking people who used it for a variety of health concerns. I was impressed by the scientific research and the personal stories.  You can see some of those discussions on the Facebook page.

So I did some self-experimentation with CBD. I was pleased with the effects for my needs, once I learned what products and methods worked best for me.  I was particularly interested in the anti-inflammatory effects – I was not disappointed.  I was able to train harder than I had in the past for a 10k race, and was rewarded with a personal best.  But I also noted that I felt much better emotionally – that the occasional mental/emotional toll that comes with this territory didn’t quite have the same impact – apparently, I was just nicer at home.