That’s a pretty bold statement, I know. You may be thinking how on Earth is CBD oil going to help cure the failing U.S. healthcare system? I promise you, if you read this entire blog, it will all make sense.

We are in a major health care crisis in this country. Pathology continues to spiral out of control, putting greater and greater economic demands on an already-stressed system. Doctor-patient relations as well as hospital-patient relations have become adversarial. Malpractice litigation continues to impact health care costs and the way patients are treated. Hospitals are understaffed. Physician offices are overcrowded and overbooked. Time constraints have fueled increases in pharmaceutical medicine in many practices. This has fueled side effects, drug-related deaths and poor-quality assessments. Patients are being under-diagnosed and under-treated for more severe conditions and over-diagnosed and over-treated for lesser issues. Patients freely and openly criticize their physicians for a myriad of perplexing issues that are neither the fault of the doctors nor the patients. More and more patients are turning to the internet for answers that they cannot seem to get at the doctor's office. And even if they get them from their physicians, they don't trust them. Doctors have been forced to deal with ever-increasing skepticism for their recommendations, and compliance is becoming a major threat to many practices as patients are not willing to fill yet another prescription.

Living unconsciously and treating all of our symptoms with medications may "keep us alive and comfortable," but chronic drug management does not optimize our health. In fact, drugs are also toxins that put a burden on our immune systems. Reaching for a pill for every symptom will only allow us to continue our unhealthy lifestyle, fooled by the mechanism of symptom relief. We have already seen what the over-utilization of antibiotics has done. We have super-bugs that are resistant to our antibiotic therapies. These bacteria are placing new burdens on us financially as we clamber to find the next generation of antibiotics that can prevent more unnecessary deaths.

I am not saying that drugs are not needed. Quite the contrary. They are miracles when used in situations where there is no other option. What I am saying is that a complete reliance on drugs to manage the growing population of patients with chronic illness will not stem the tide.

This is because we are experiencing an explosion in “lifestyle diseases” that create demands for ever-expanding technologies (which place a huge financial burden on the industry). Who is supposed to pay for the much-needed advances in medicine and surgery? Certainly, physicians and hospitals cannot be expected to foot the bill and provide quality care. So, who should own this? In my opinion, it is the public themselves. The diet and lifestyle of the average American is fueling an array of diseases. Essentially, they are eating themselves sick. They are not exercising. They are not doing anything to curb the stresses of modern living. Who is responsible? In a world dominated by "adults," the adult mind needs to be responsible for its own existence. If you walk into a supermarket and only one aisle is marked "Health Foods," then what are they selling in all the other aisles? Obesity and, more specifically, "diabesity," is an epidemic that is not only already wreaking havoc on the health of this country, but the economic ramifications of treatment (management) will continue to spiral out of control. I implore every adult reading this to take stock of their own diet and lifestyle. Do not expect to live unconsciously and enjoy good health. Do not expect physicians to come and "save" you from yourself. There is only so much medicine can do for you. You have to be the advocate for your health. No one else can be.

Optimal health depends on pathways that support homeostasis (the efficient functioning of all systems of the human body). There is not a drug on the planet that fosters homeostasis. As I’ve said, drugs add toxic burden on an already burdened immune system. But if we look outside the box of conventional drug-fueled therapies, we find that nature provides many of the answers that scientists are trying to find in the lab. It’s quite simple. If we eat organic, unrefined, chemical-free, preservative-free whole foods, we do much to support homeostasis. At the same time, an entire new field of “nutraceutical” medicine has arrived. Using nutrients to foster homeostasis makes perfect sense when we have been forced by the food industry to consume nutrient-deficient foods. And now we come upon CBD oil, a major constituent of the cannabis species of plants. CBD oil has been shown to bind to receptor sites in the human body that are designed to signal the immune and nervous systems. The signals can be one of “high alert”, where the body must go into protective mode (which leads to disease) or one of “all systems good” so the body can return to detoxifying and repairing itself. Detoxification and repair is the essential goal of homeostasis. And we have found that CBD oil binds to receptors and sends an “all systems good” message that fosters and facilitates good homeostasis. Isn’t that better than drugging symptoms and doing nothing to foster an improvement in health?

CBD oil has been found to be pain relieving, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, anti-seizure, anti-nausea (especially in patients receiving chemotherapy), and supports healthy sleep cycles (which is the most important aspect of homeostasis). Since it is non-psycho-active and is 100% legal in every state without a prescription, everyone is entitled to purchase and consume it. And when they do and begin to see the power inherent in this natural molecule, it will open up a whole new world to these people who now can become more pro-active, conscious participants in their own health. And let’s face it, the healthier the public becomes, the more readily we fix our broken health care system!