Does CBD make you feel relaxed?

Being relaxed is often an elusive state for many of us. We rush about from the moment we wake until we finally fall asleep, like a child’s toy top that has stopped spinning and lost all its momentum. When morning comes, the world winds us up again and we spin top-like through the day once again. 

“Just as rain relieves atmospheric tension, making all the blossoms burst open, so to a time of deliverance from burdensome pressure has a liberating effect on life.” ~Hexagram 40, the I Ching.

 

Perhaps the last advice one wants to be given in times like this is the timeworn advice, to “stop and smell the roses”. However, there is much more wisdom to that old adage than is immediately apparent, specifically when it comes to flowers of a different sort—that of the cannabis plant. Some years back, Dr. Ethan Russo observed that the full ensemble of the plant’s components exhibited greater effect than if one of the primary components, like CBD, was used by itself (this came as no surprise to the aromatherapists and herbalists of the world, of course).  Dr. Russo’s documentation of the phenomenon, which he termed “the Entourage Effect”, was an important step in understanding of how cannabinoids interact and synergize with the other ingredients of the plant. 

Among the most influential of these other ingredients are the many terpenes found in cannabis flowers. Terpenes and terpenoids are the aromatic compounds that all plant life produces, and the unique mélange found in cannabis and hemp contribute much not just to their aromatic bouquet but also the effects they exhibit when consumed. Science observed long ago that terpenes directly impact the function of our brains and influence our overall physiology. Terpenes effects are even more potent when combined with power of CBD and other cannabinoids.

 

One of the most familiar terpenes in the natural world is linalool, which is easily recognizable in the scent of lavender. It is found not just in the “entourage” of the cannabis plant but also in the aromatic entourage of many more commonplace sources: basil, citrus fruit, mint and hops among them. The effects of lavender and linalool on the human body has been well known for thousands of years and has been quite well researched in the modern era as well, exhibiting  effects on the human body that range from anti-anxiety and mood stabilizing properties to pain relief and positive influences on our sleep cycles. 

Stigma’s Lavender Rub is a wonderful place to begin one’s experimentation with both linalool as well as the “entourage effect” of that terpene with CBD. This balm-like rub is excellent for use on the daily aches and pains of the body but is certainly not limited to that! 

If you are feeling stressed, try rubbing it on your temples and wrists. Rubbing it on one’s temples is also an excellent way to help soothe sleep issues, or to try and calm a raging migraine. Truly, stopping to smell the flowers—lavender in this case—might just be the best thing you could do for yourself today.