I’ve had a few recent medical issues: 1) I bruised my tailbone while snow surfing, which is a sport I made up. You stand while sledding with your kids and bust your ass. 2) Moderate anxiety. I attribute this to the pressure of intimately talking to strangers about their health as part of my job. (Hi, I’m Dewan. Wanna talk about cancer!) And 3) insomnia–I’ve had trouble staying asleep for more than five consecutive hours.

Until recently, my treatment has consisted of almost abstaining from alcohol and going on road trips. But out of the blue, I received an offer to try cannabidiol (CBD) oil from White Cedar Naturals for free. I was not familiar with the product or company, but reading the prefix “canna” in their literature was enough for me to agree to give their full spectrum hemp extract a try.

Here’s what I learned from 30 exhaustive minutes of internet research prior to receiving the product: CBD is a chemical compound found in cannabis. Marijuana, a type of cannabis, has low levels of CBD and high levels of THC. Hemp, also a type cannabis, has high levels of CBD and trace levels of THC. CBD is not a psychoactive cannabinoid, so, for better or worse, it won’t get you high and it’s legal. To make CBD oil, compounds are extracted from hemp plants. Peer-reviewed research shows that at least one of these compounds, CBD, is effective at treating epilepsy. There’s also evidence that it treats other ailments.

The first day the CBD oil/hemp extract arrived I took more than the recommended dose because I’m a man and we foolishly disregard directions. (It’s ingested by putting drops under the tongue and tastes like an unsweetened edible.) My back did not feel noticeably different and I was already off work and not feeling anxious.

But that night I did get some of the best sleep I’ve gotten in years—Nyquil-induced sleep included. White Cedar Natural’s rep had noted that sleepiness was a side effect of taking too much CBD oil, but considering the number of invasive species that come into my bed and wake me up at odd hours, sleepiness was more of an desired effect.

Over the next week, I continued taking CBD oil twice a day as directed. My tailbone felt good enough to make a 12-hour roundtrip drive to Washington, D.C.  My insomnia got better; I had multiple nights of REM sleep where I actually remembered my dreams. And my anxiety decreased, though I’m thinking this may have been an indirect benefit of improved sleep.

Overall, I’d say White Cedar Naturals CBD oil is an effective, worthwhile product for sleep trouble and mild pain, especially for those who don’t have access to cannabis products with THC. I was going to write “especially for those who prefer not to use cannabis products with THC” but I have a hard time believing such people exist. You can read more about White Cedar Naturals on their website.

-Dewan Gibson