In November of 2017, when I was struggling with pain in my hip/leg, my nephew, Blake, suggested CBD to help manage the pain.

I said “no thank you – I don’t want to take anything like that”.

I smoked a little in high school and was not a fan of how marijuana made me feel. Blake said that CBD was nothing like that, but he couldn’t convince me to try it.

A few months later, after doing some research, I decided to try it. I went to the local health food store and they suggested Charlotte’s Web. So, $120.00 later, I walked out with a small box, got in my car, pulled out the bottle and squeezed a few drops under my tongue. The taste was earthy but not bad. A little later, I think I felt a little bit of “calmness” but at the same time, I also felt some tightness in my chest and my heart seemed to be beating more quickly. I think I attributed it to a pain response because just about anything I did (sit, walk, get up, lean over with dogs, lie down) hurt.

The next day, I took another dose and got the same tightness in the chest feeling. I think I tried it one more day and decided that CBD didn’t work for me and I started giving it to Riley, my 12-yr old Golden Retriever, who was suffering from seizures. After that, pain relief for me consisted of a couple of beers in the evening and hoping that my body was so exhausted at around 11pm, that when I finally crawled into bed and adjusted my leg in such a way that my hip joint didn’t hurt, I would fall asleep and the pain would subside.

Looking back, I now know that my response I had to Charlotte’s Web was actually an allergic one. Not sure what in their formula was an issue, but it was enough that I stopped taking it. And, it was enough for me to say no to my sister-in-law, Debbie, who suggested in March of this year that I try the Zilis UltraCell CBD. Read that story here. I am very glad that Debbie insisted (she’s evil that way), because the UltraCell CBD has definitely made me feel and move much better.

What’s my point?

First I would say do your research. I read a lot about CBD and about CBD products. I relied on several websites as well as the local health food store’s recommendation to select Charlotte’s Web. But I also learned that not every CBD is the same – formulas are different and in many ways, HOW they work is different too – read about the water-soluble UltraCell here. After signing on to sell Zilis UltraCell, I have been reading as much as I can find. Check out some articles I found here and some videos that I found here.

Second would be to try the product yourself and be prepared to take it for more than a few days. For me, I don’t think my reaction to the Charlotte’s Web CBD was going to change. So, it was a good thing that I was given another product to try AND that I was encouraged to keep taking it. For me, it was almost 3-4 weeks before I could feel a difference. If you are interested in trying the UltraCell CBD or the new UltraCell CBG, please contact me.

Third thing to remember is that it probably won’t be a lightning bolt of “WOW! I feel AMAZING!” but more likely a gentle spark in your head when you get up and realize that you aren’t as stiff, or you realize that your Type A++ personality is a lot calmer, or you can finally button your shirt with your arthritic hands. Keep in mind that stress wreaks havoc on your body. The longer you have been under severe stress, the longer it will take for your body to find some sort of balance, or what we now understand to be “homeostasis”.

And finally, I’m sure you want to know if CBD can change your life – if it’s really the amazing cure-all for anything that ails you. The answer is probably not.

But then again, the research and the first-hand testimonials that I have read or heard might tell another story. For my mom, she can now button her shirt without using a button hook helper. She has been suffering from severe shoulder pain and has been wearing pain patches for years. She no longer wears the patches and she can now raise her arms a little past her shoulders. She was struggling with anemia for almost 2 years. Her doctor suggested that she had several small lesions in her small intestine that were bleeding and should be cauterized. However, her last several blood panels are showing continued improvement in her iron levels. She did give up the NSAIDs (but not her wine) and she is faithfully taking the Zilis UltraCell CBD every day.

So, for my mom, I think the answer is yes.