Nicotine is one of the most addictive substances on Earth, negatively impacting millions of people each year. In the United Kingdom alone, over 8 million people struggle with addiction to nicotine. There are many ways in which people can try to beat their addiction, however many of the conventional methods fail people. In this article we’ll dig into can CBD help you to stop smoking.

What is nicotine?

Nicotine is a chemical that is mostly commonly known for being in cigarettes. It contains nitrogen and is made by several types of plants, including the tobacco plant.  Nicotine is produced synthetically.

While not cancer-causing or excessively harmful on its own, nicotine is heavily addictive and exposes people to the extremely harmful effects of tobacco dependency

How does nicotine addiction work?

Nicotine is primarily consumed by inhaling the smoke of tobacco cigarettes. It is an extremely addictive chemical with some saying that nicotine is almost as addictive as heroin. Nicotine addiction is physical, meaning users crave the chemical, and also mental, meaning users consciously desire nicotine’s effects. People also become dependent on actions involved with using tobacco. They also become accustomed to using tobacco in certain situations, such as after meals or when under stress.

The addiction to nicotine comes from the pleasant feelings that using it creates in the body and mind. When you use tobacco, your brain releases neurotransmitters such dopamine, the feel-good chemical. This creates a brief feeling of contentment and pleasure. Smoking cigarettes or using other tobacco products causes nicotine addiction. Nicotine is very addictive, so even infrequent use can lead to dependence.

What are the side effects of smoking?

Tobacco contain many cancer-causing agents and other harmful chemicals. The nearly 4,000 chemicals found in tobacco have physical, mental, and psychological effects. Some of the side effects of smoking and tobacco use include:

  • lung cancer
  • emphysema
  • chronic bronchitis
  • cancer, especially in the respiratory system
  • leukemia
  • heart disease
  • stroke
  • diabetes
  • eye issues, such as cataracts and macular degeneration
  • infertility
  • impotence
  • miscarriage and pregnancy complications
  • weakened immune system
  • cold, flu, and respiratory infections
  • loss of sense of taste or smell
  • gum disease and dental issues
  • the appearance of premature aging
  • peptic ulcer disease
  • osteoporosis

What is CBD?

CBD is also known as cannabidiol, which is a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. Unlike other elements found within the plant, CBD doesn’t get you high and is not psychoactive. This is what makes it safe and legal to take in the form of your choice. You can find many different forms of CBD available to help with pain, such as oils and gummies.

It does this, as well as providing a host of other beneficial effects, by promoting homeostasis within the body. This is essentially a healthy balance of all the elements needed to promote healthy living in humans.

CBD User Guide

How can CBD help to stop smoking?

People use CBD to help relieve and manage a wide array of conditions and symptoms. As research continues to grow into CBD, more and more use cases become available, and the most recent is people’s interest into whether or not CBD can help you to stop smoking. Below we have outlined a few different ways in which CBD can help you to stop smoking.

CBD can help to prevent Tobacco cravings

A 2018 study that came out of the UK in May 2018 investigated the potential benefits of CBD on smoking-related behaviour. The research concluded that a single 800 mg dose of CBD could help to reduce the “pleasantness” of images associated with smoking cigarettes compared to the placebo group, especially for the participants who only went through one day of cessation for the study.

CBD can help with withdrawal symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms develop within a few days of stopping smoking and involve irritability, anxiety, difficulty falling asleep, high blood pressure, headaches, and depression. These symptoms can continue to linger for several weeks and can be a major reason for people to start smoking again. If the period of withdrawal were easy to overcome, smoking addiction wouldn’t become a global health problem.

CBD is a potent inhibitor of FAAH — an enzyme that breaks down the body’s natural endocannabinoids. These endocannabinoids bind to cannabinoid receptors in the brain (CB1) that can influence mood, pain, sleep, and reward regions in your brain. Supplementing CBD oil helps you maintain a sufficient level of your own cannabinoids and thus reduces the dysfunction of the aforementioned processes.

CBD helps to ease anxiety

One of the major withdrawal symptoms from quitting Tobacco is anxiety. One study comparing the effects of THC and CBD found that, while THC increased anxiety by activating the neurotransmitters involved in the “fight or flight” response, CBD actually repressed autonomic arousal—or the nervous system response associated with sudden increases in heart rate or respiration. In other words, CBD may be ideal for people looking to relax and unwind.

While the research into CBD’s effectiveness for treating anxiety, pain, and insomnia is still in its infancy, there are many promising studies which do show that CBD can help with anxiety.

By interacting with the endocannabinoid system, CBD can help with self-regulation, mood and relaxation. These effects can in-turn help if you are suffering from anxiety of depression.

Conclusion

Nicotine is one of the most common addictions which people suffer from in their daily life. Using CBD can be a great way to help you overcome your Nicotine addiction and finally put down those cigarettes which are impacting your health and your bank balance!