Editor's note: The views expressed in this article are not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Recently, a CBD dispensary opened a few blocks away from me. I've heard about CBD many times. Mostly through posts on Facebook and Instagram showing people promoting the product. Every time I would open my social media I would be treated to a picture or post about how CBD changed their lives, fix their knee, shine their hair, or help them with their anxiety. The fact that I only ever heard about CBD was through influencers made them seem like modern day snake oil salesmen. Despite my doubts, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to pay the dispensary a visit and see what all the hype was about.

For those who don't know about CBD or "diet weed" as the internet jokingly calls it, it is cannabis oil that is the concentrated liquid extract of the marijuana plant, Cannabis sativa. The other part of the plant is THC. THC is the psychoactive compound in marijuana and it is what people are searching for when they want a product that gives them a "high." Unlike THC, CBD isn't known to cause psychoactive effects and has only the positive benefits of marijuana. Hence, that's why they call it "diet weed". It has all the taste and none of the calories.

Science aside I wanted to test out CBD for my own issues. I didn't have problems with my knee or lower back and I'm fine with my hair. I wanted to find out if it could really help me with my anxiety. I'm 23 years old and I've had anxiety as long as I can remember. I've tried everything over the years to help me. I've tried a bunch of deep breathing exercises, those were only temporary. I tried medication, but I was usually prescribed ineffective meds or they were expensive so that never lasted. I've been trying to get in the habit of meditating, but my mind races back and forth most of the time, which is another issue I was hoping that CBD would help.

As soon as I walked in, they made me sign a waiver stating that I now know that CBD is not FDA approved as a medical product. After signing they took me into a back room that was blocked by a code locked door. Security is obviously a big concern for this place. The back room had these huge display cases and drawers and shelves with all these products that I knew nothing about. Word of advice, do your research first before walking into a place like this.

Otherwise, you'll look like me standing there not knowing a damn thing. They asked me what I was a looking for and I told them I wanted something for my anxiety. They recommended oil or capsules to me because I was new to CBD. There are a bunch of products, like e-cigs, edibles, vapes, and even dog treats. I was educated enough for these products. That's another piece of advice, don't be afraid to ask questions or admit that you're new to this. If the place you're purchasing from is professional and serious, they will explain the science to you. After about a half hour I bought a bottle of CBD oil and it was a bit expensive but I figured it was worth a try.

That was two weeks ago and I've been taking my oil twice a day, every day. I take it in the morning to help me with my anxiety and my aches in the morning. I hardly ever get a good night's sleep and usually wake up uncomfortable in the morning. My drive to work and the first few hours of my shift are usually the most stressful hours of the day. I have anxiety driving because I've seen a lot of accidents up close and I also don't trust other drivers.

The first few hours in my office are filled with constant rushing into meetings to go over the plan for the week and talking about the budget, which is boring as hell! We're lucky if we get a bathroom break. I also take it at night to help with my insomnia and so I don't wake up the next morning the aforementioned aches. All in all, the experience after taking CBD is the same, no matter what time of day. My body feels calm and relaxed after taking it. My mind actually slows down a bit and I'm able to calm down and focus on one thing, whereas my mind usually scatters to many places.

I've only been taking CBD for two weeks, so I'm not experienced enough to recommend it to someone. I will say that it's been working for me and I do plan on going back to try other CBD products. If anyone asked me about CBD, I would tell them to go online or better yet ask someone who works in that field. Everyone's body is different and each might respond a different way.