That’s a little excerpt from the inner monologue that plays in my head on a daily basis. It took me a long time to understand this is called “anxiety” and that I’m one of approximately 40 million Americans who suffer from some version of it. Anxiety disorders are highly treatable, yet only 37% of those suffering seek / receive treatment. The rest tend to self-medicate in the form of drugs and/or alcohol to help take the edge off, which is not super healthy in the long-run…
Of course, there are pharmaceuticals to help manage anxiety, and in some cases this is definitely the best option. But not always. Take me, for example: someone who has persistent but not debilitating anxiety – or as I like to call it, “a functioning anxious-holic.” I can go about my day and be perfectly productive, I’ll just secretly feel like I’m imploding while I’m doing it. So if I can avoid pharmaceuticals and take something natural, I’m down. Enter Not Pot – a cheerful, breezy CBD brand specializing in cute polar bear gummies, nicknamed “chill pills.” Made with full spectrum hemp (instead of cheaper, less effective CBD isolates) plus recognizable ingredients like strawberries and apple pectin, these yummy gummies are also gluten-free, 100% vegan and 100% adorable. Their website is equally colorful and inviting: “Chill out, it’s not pot,” their landing page states right off the bat, followed by, “No, it won’t get you high.” Since CBD is still mysterious to most consumers, it’s wise for the brand to educate us up front. So, how exactly does it work?
Bear with me: the human body has an endocannabinoid system that receives transmission signals from cannabinoids in the body. CBD doesn’t affect the same receptors as its cannabinoid cousin, THC, which gets you high. Conversely, CBD produces many beneficial non-psychoactive effects on our molecular pathway (and that is definitely the first time I’ve ever written “molecular pathway” in a blog). As a matter of fact, there are more than 65 molecular targets of CBD in the body, so a CBD-rich product with little THC can convey therapeutic benefits without having a euphoric effect. In other words, you won’t get stoned and crave Taco Bell sprinkled with Flaming Hot Cheetos.
So what are the benefits of taking CBD, you ask? Research is ongoing, but so far indicates CBD helps reduce:
Anxiety & depression
Aches & pains
Inflammation
High blood pressure
Insomnia
Not Pot’s research is led by “Israel’s top PhD scientists, plant molecular biologists, and medical experts who have co-authored more than 160 scientific publications and secured over 46 patents in the space.” So it’s safe to say these gummies aren’t being produced in the back of a Winnebago in Venice Beach. In fact, the brand supports sustainable USA hemp farmers that are compliant with the Farm Bill, so while CBD hasn’t been FDA-approved just yet, Not Pot is as up-and-up as CBD products get.
So, how’s it been working for me? I’ve been popping a little white bear (10 mg) once a day for the past month, and overall I’d say my anxiety levels are down. One tangible metric is that I’ve cut back significantly on my prescribed anti-anxiety meds since trying Not Pot – coincidence? Maybe. Do I feel bad for the bears? No. I imagine them going on an interdimensional voyage into my mind, where they eat all the bad thoughts like tasty fish in the Arctic.
Is that weird? Nahhh. Of course, Not Pot will be the first ones to admit that CBD is not a magic cure-all for everything that ails ya. Severe anxiety and chronic pain will most likely require more potent forms of relief, but for me personally, so far so good.
And lastly, another thing Not Pot helps me feel good about is their mission to help support The Bail Project – they use profits to pay bail for one person in need every month for senseless cannabis-related arrests. This is the very definition of a feel-good brand – literally – and I think the more ‘woke’ brands are, the more successful they will be moving forward.
