Discover Seven Surprising Health Benefits of Delta-8 and CBD!

If you’re like most people, you have probably heard of cannabidiol CBD or other cannabis-derived products as a disputed treatment for anxiety or even chronic pain relief. Maybe those are the only health benefits you’ve ever heard of from the news or the Internet.

You may not know that delta-8 and CBD products have a range of other surprising health benefits that you should consider. While they may not be FDA-approved drugs or dietary supplements, these substances can still help you out!

In this blog post, we will explore some of the top health benefits of delta-8 and CBD and how they can improve your life!

What Are Delta-8 and CBD?

First, let’s define the difference between a delta-8 THC product and a CBD product before we get into the actual health benefits. Both CBD and delta-8 are types of cannabinoids.

What Is a Cannabinoid?

Cannabinoids are found in the members of the cannabis plant family, including the Cannabis Sativa plant. Currently, there are 113 known cannabinoids that can be derived from cannabis plants.

Cannabinoids are a class of chemical compounds that interact with the body’s endocannabinoid receptors. These receptors are located throughout the body but lead back to the brain.

The Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

As a result, ECS receptors can influence a person’s mood, memory, chronic pain tolerance, and sense of appetite.

Without a properly working ECS, a person will have trouble with several important brain functions, ranging from coordination to a sense of motivation.

However, it is possible to affect ECS receptors in order to produce positive health benefits and effects without completely keeping the ECS from performing its essential functions.

CBD

CBD is short for cannabidiol and is sometimes called cannabidiol CBD. Cannabidiol is a cannabinoid that makes up over a third of the extract that scientists can produce from a cannabis plant, such as cannabis Sativa.

CBD extracts work by interacting with ECS cannabinoid receptors to provide relief from tension and other health conditions.

Most commercially available cannabidiol CBD products come from hemp, which is a common plant with a storied history in the US. Thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill (formally known as the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018), hemp-related CBD products are now legal at the federal level, provided that they do not contain any high doses of delta-9 THC.

The benefit of this is that virtually any hemp-related cannabidiol CBD product is no longer on the list of federally controlled substances the way they once were. More people can access CBD products throughout the country.

Cannabidiol CBD is non-psychoactive, meaning it will not give you the “high” associated with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol). This means you can experience its health benefits without losing as much focus and motor control as you might with other types of cannabinoids.

Despite being non-psychoactive, cannabidiol CBD is still more potent than products such as hemp seed oil.

Delta-8

Delta-8 is a type of cannabinoid that has not been extensively studied, but it is believed (due to preclinical evidence) to have similar health benefits to CBD.

Delta-8 is a form of THC, which means that it is related to the delta-9 THC that produces the sensations that people experience when using marijuana.

Similar to delta-9, delta-8 comes from the cannabis plant, though only in small amounts. This means that scientists have to work harder to extract individual isomers from the plant in order to produce a large enough amount for a person to consume and experience any meaningful health benefits.

Fortunately, delta-8 THC is generally considered to be less potent than delta-9 THC. In fact, some researchers have called delta-8 the “nicer younger sibling” to the more well-known delta-9.

Is Delta-8 Legal?

Thanks to the aforementioned 2018 Farm Bill, delta-8 also is no longer on the list of federally controlled substances in its natural form, so more people can access it now.

This is because it does not contain an illegal amount of delta-9 THC, which is still listed as a controlled substance under the US’s Controlled Substances Act.

In addition, delta-8 is legally available in more states than the more notorious delta-9. Of course, state laws still vary, so check first to see if you have access in your state.

Comparing Essential Health Benefits of CBD and Delta-8

Since CBD and delta-8 are two different substances, this article will list some of their potential health benefits and wellness perks separately. As you’ll soon see, however, many of these health benefits overlap!

Health Benefits of CBD Products

CBD Can Help Produce Feelings of Calm

CBD oil is known to have a variety of potential health benefits, including its ability to help users ease their feeling of being under pressure. CBD can also produce a sense of feeling calmer in the face of upsetting circumstances.

CBD works by interacting with the endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for regulating a variety of functions in the body, including mood, memory, and stress response.

When CBD is introduced into the body, it can affect the ECS receptors that are responsible for triggering negative responses and other health issues.

Some clinical studies (not to be confused with clinical trials) suggest that CBD can potentially decrease anxiety-related behavior. This can be an extremely helpful health benefit for people who want to feel calmer in the midst of life’s stressors.

It can also be useful for people who want to avoid getting irritated or out of control when they become anxious.

CBD Can Help Improve Cognitive Function and Memory

Recent research (which includes some clinical trials) suggests that CBD can have a positive effect on the connectivity of the brain’s frontostriatal circuits.

These pathways in the brain are a key part of your brain’s ability to process and remember information, as well as make decisions, and handle changes in your life and the world around you.

CBD has, at least in some research cases, had a positive benefit on the function of these frontostriatal circuits.

One of the possible health benefits of CBD products is improving your brain’s overall ability to function and retain information.

CBD Can Help Produce a Feeling of Energy

Since it can potentially help you feel calmer and improve your brain’s ability to function, a CBD product’s health benefits can also include feelings of energy and restfulness.

CBD isn’t a stimulant like caffeine; CBD products aren’t dietary supplements. They just help you benefit by making you feel as if you just got a good night’s sleep.

Unlike the more potent THC, which makes you feel “down,” alternatively, CBD could give you a feeling of energy and a sense of focus depending on how much you take and how often. We like to remind you that cannabis effects vary from person to person, so be sure to take it low and slow while you find the best dose and product(s) for yourself. 

By affecting your body’s endocannabinoid system, which affects your energy-related neurotransmitters, CBD can help you feel relaxed and refreshed.

Doing this can relieve whatever sense of fatigue, low energy, or similar health conditions a user may be experiencing.

Health Benefits of Delta-8 Products

Delta-8 Can Make You Feel Calmer

According to the National Cancer Institute, delta-8 works by binding to certain ECS receptors in the human body. This is similar to the way that CBD functions, so some of the health benefits are similar.

Latching onto these ECS receptors, delta-8 can produce a sense of calm. However, delta-8 is only half to three-quarters as potent as its more well-known cannabinoid “sibling,” delta-9 THC.

This means that the sense of calm produced by delta-8 is less likely to cause some of the adverse effects that come along with the more potent delta-9 THC in its severe forms.

Those adverse effects can include paranoia, anxiousness, and other symptoms. Some users feel that these psychoactive effects and safety concerns negate whatever health benefits may come with strong cannabinoids like delta-9.

By contrast, one common way that people describe the sense of relaxation created by delta-8 is “floating.” Imagine that you are floating on a cloud or drifting along in a lazy river.

Now what could be more calming and laid-back than that?

Delta-8 Can Help You Feel Euphoric

Mental wellness is one of the many potential health benefits of delta-8. Thanks to the mellow sensation that often comes with delta-8, the substance can be helpful for people who want to relax without feeling drowsy, as long as they use appropriate dosing.

It can also produce a sense of excitement and a feeling of happiness with your current state of mind. In other words, delta-8 can help you feel on top of the world, even when you’re having an off day or struggling with health conditions.

Delta-8 Can Help You Feel Less Anxious

The same research that called delta-8 the nicer “sibling” to delta-9 also found evidence that delta-8 can produce a sense of relaxation in users. The health benefits of this feeling of relaxation include possibly counteracting anxiety and paranoia.

Basically, delta-8 has helped some people feel like they’re in a better mind space than they were before.

Delta-8 Can Help You Reach a Sense of “Flow”

What Is a “Flow State”?

This final perk is slightly different from the health benefits listed above, and it might be the most surprising.

When you’re working or playing under the right circumstances, you may feel total immersion in your current task.

Maybe you’re writing, drawing, or shooting hoops, when everything seems to click into place for you all of a sudden. Maybe you consumed pre-workout dietary supplements earlier in the day, or maybe you’re just having a good afternoon.

Whatever the cause, you feel focused, clear-headed, and joyful in your current task. You may feel like you’re doing exactly what you were born to do, and nothing can stop your passion for your current work.

Certain positive psychologists refer to this mental state as a state of flow, which can be immensely productive for a person’s professional life or even their sense of personal wellness.

How Delta-8 Can Help You Reach a State of Flow

What does this have to do with delta-8? Well, some of the obstacles to reaching a flow state include stress, distractions, low energy, and creative difficulties (think, “writer’s block”).

Fortunately, since delta-8 can decrease or at least have a positive effect on some or all of these factors, it can possibly help you find the “flow” that you’ve been looking for.

If you experience the health benefits of feeling more mellow, less distracted, and more energetic than before, then you can reach your personal state of “flow” sooner rather than later!

Conclusion

Despite some of their chemical differences, both CBD and delta-8 can provide you with tons of possible health benefits!

Whether you just want to feel relaxed or better able to handle life’s surprises, or if you want to feel more energized and on top of your game, these cannabis-derived products can work wonders for your state of mind!

The best part is that you can find access to cannabidiol extracts sold online right at Restart CBD!

Are you curious about what might be the best way to try out a CBD product or delta-8 THC for yourself? Check out some of these popular CBD oil products, or explore our catalog of delta-8 gummies, capsules, drinks, and more! And reach out if you have any questions- we love helping our customers explore cannabis comfortably & confidently!