Before you bite into a brownie or pop a gummy, it’s worth understanding the compounds at play:
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That’s where things get hazy.
“Cannabis works with our endocannabinoid system (ECS), the same system that regulates sleep, mood and stress,” Lavorato said. “We literally have receptors for it throughout our bodies.”
The ECS also plays a surprising role in memory and learning. THC is known to temporarily disrupt short-term memory which, according to experts, may not be a downside. In “The Botany of Desire,” author Michael Pollan suggests that forgetting is essential to mental clarity — and that cannabis may help filter out unnecessary information. That idea has sparked interest in cannabis as a potential treatment for PTSD and other trauma-related conditions.
Still, questions remain. “If people are finding relief from cannabis, great. But is it safe? We think so, but we don’t know,” Dr. Heather Hirsch, a menopause expert at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, told Harvard Health.
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Part of the problem is access. Cannabis remains a Schedule I drug under federal law, making it difficult for researchers to study real-world products. Reclassifying it as a Schedule III substance would ease those restrictions and allow for more licensed growers. But access isn’t the only issue.
“Without significant funding, we won’t close the critical knowledge gap on cannabis’ risks and benefits,” Cindy Kiel, associate vice provost for research at Stanford University, told the Association of American Medical Colleges.
While there’s growing evidence supporting cannabis for conditions like epilepsy, chronic pain and menopausal symptoms, experts agree that more long-term, unbiased research is still needed.
Unlike THC, CBD is not classified as a controlled substance — making it widely available in everything from serums to sleep gummies. But that accessibility comes with a catch.
“There is a still a lot of uncertainty, and we are yet to receive the official guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence on the use of cannabis-based products for medicinal purposes,” Dr. Hazel Wallace, a nutritionist, former NHS physician and founder of The Food Medic, told Women’s Health. “These products are not regulated as medicines or drugs so do not undergo rigorous checks.”
Dr. Chandni Hindocha, a clinical psychopharmacologist, agrees. “We still don’t know exactly how CBD works in the brain,” she told the publication. “But it can act on over 65 different neurotransmitter receptor sites.” These include CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, serotonin receptors (which influence mood) and GABA receptors, which help regulate the nervous system. That may explain, according to Hindocha, why CBD is touted as a remedy for everything from anxiety to acne.
From skin care to sleep aids, cannabis products are becoming a staple in wellness routines. Here are a few elevated ways to celebrate 4/20:
So whether you’re tincturing CBD under your tongue or sipping a THC-infused mocktail, approach with intention and celebrate responsibly.
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Learn how cannabis fits into modern wellness, the differences between CBD, THC, and delta-8 and what the latest research says ahead of your 4/20 celebrations. Read More
