At the heart of a smoking addiction (or rather nicotine addiction) are the receptors in the brain addicted to nicotine. And this is not very surprising, as nicotine is among the top 3 (source: Jellinek) most addictive substances. The fact is that nicotine is more addictive than e.g. alcohol, XTC, GHB, LSD or cocaine, among others.
How does it work?
The number of receptors in the brain differs from person to person, therefore the degree of addiction also differs. People with a lot of receptors have more difficulty quitting, than when someone has fewer receptors. The longer a person smokes, the more receptors become active.
When you stop smoking, these receptors keep asking for nicotine. When you have stopped for long enough, the receptors stop doing so and you are free from the addiction!
The shifted addiction
When you stop smoking using a nicotine-based device (e.g. nicotine patches, chewing gum, spray, etc.), you actually remain addicted to nicotine. Even an e-cigarette is then not a real alternative. This is because you continue to feed your receptors with nicotine. You have now actually shifted the addiction to another product.
Research & studies
In several scientific studies, CBD (short for cannabidiol) has been shown to be effective in withdrawal from nicotine, but even for other addictions such as e.g. alcohol.
In short: This is because nicotine and CBD act on the same receptors. Nicotine activates these receptors, while CBD actually blocks these receptors. Blocking the receptors immediately reduces the craving for smoking (nicotine).
What is CBD?
CBD is the abbreviation for cannabinoids. Cannabinoids is a natural product and is extracted from specially grown fibre hemp plants. These plants have a very high CBD content. CBD is 100% legal and natural and you definitely cannot get stoned or high from CBD! Moreover, it has no side effects and you can't get addicted to it either.
Endocannabinoid system: biological system in humans and animals
Scientists discovered (not too long ago) that the human body has an extensive endocannabinoid system and it affects a lot of bodily functions. The system consists of various receptors in the body and brain. Each person also produces small amounts of cannabinoids themselves. CBD nourishes this biological system.
CBD products - Discover the differences
CBD is incorporated into numerous products, because besides anti-addictive effects, it also has strong anti-inflammatory and anti-pain properties. You can divide the different CBD products by bioavailability. CBD patches are 15 times more effective (and therefor cheaper!) then oral CBD products!