Using CBD in the Workplace
Time and time again, the question arises: Should I use CBD in the workplace? Cannabidiol, or CBD, has erupted in popularity due to its reputation as a cure-all wonder drug, the kind that only comes along once in a millenium.
But CBD is only just beginning its trek into the confines of work environments. And to understand why, you must first take a look at CBD’s purported effects, both in the eyes of employers and the people already using it every day.
HOW COULD CBD HELP IN THE WORKPLACE?
Research into the potential benefits of this cannabis-derived compound is still young. In fact, the federal government recently awarded $3 million in research grants in an attempt to further understand the observed pain and inflammation-relieving properties inherent to CBD.
But if you were to ask daily CBD users, you’d hear a more clearly defined account. “CBD actually helps me focus better and helps my concentration,” said Natalia, a Social Media Coordinator at the CBD manufacturer Core CBD. “I get things done with much better performance.”
And Natalia’s statements may hold true following further concrete CBD research. According to a research report found in the US National Library of Medicine, CBD may “attenuate motivational dysfunction” through activation of certain neuroreceptors in the brain.
According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), the list of potentially beneficial properties that CBD is being tested for is nothing short of vast. It’s evident that CBD may be useful as a treatment for any number of medical conditions, most notably for its neuroprotective, anxiolytic, and antipsychotic properties.
In the workplace, such a protectant supplement could hold the keys to increased productivity, creative drive, and overall well-being among coworkers. That is, if CBD is allowed in your workplace.
WHO CAN USE CBD IN THE WORKPLACE?
Before you consider using CBD at your respective workplace, it’s important to know exactly how the compound affects you. Everyone reacts differently to the ingestion of cannabidiol. Some users report feeling tired, relaxed, and calm, while others report just the opposite: a motivated wakefulness, one that drives them to tackle the day ahead.
And as of late, CBD is legal at the federal level, thanks in part to the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill in December of 2018. Products containing cannabidiol can legally contain no more than 0.3% THC and must be derived from industrial hemp. That doesn’t mean everyone’s down with the cause, however.
Some employers may go so far as to claim that they drug test for CBD, among other things, to dissuade employees away from the supplement. But the overarching misconception presented here is that CBD will make you fail a drug test.
It won’t. CBD does not show up on a drug test.
Such a deceptive tactic probably does dissuade the less adventurous among us, unfortunately. Some even believe that you’ll fail a routine workplace drug test due to the federally-allowed 0.3% THC content present in many of these products. But thinking you’ll fail a drug test after taking CBD is the metaphorical equivalent of saying you went swimming because you felt one single raindrop wet the tip of your nose – it’s just false.
And while some employers may have their own personal quarrels with CBD — if it works, it works. Because of the vast array of potential benefits associated with CBD, some organizations nationwide are welcoming – not rejecting – the compound.
This summer, the Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board cleared officers for CBD use. You heard that right: cops in Arizona can use cannabis, so long as it’s a product derived from industrial hemp and contains no more than 0.3% THC by dry weight, per federal regulations.
WHAT ELSE DO PEOPLE SAY ABOUT CBD IN THE WORKPLACE?
To further understand why some employees have taken to using CBD at the workplace, we asked them. Natalia, the Social Media Coordinator at Core CBD, said she regularly uses an entire array of CBD products during work.
“I use CBD oil, CBD gummies, CBD topicals,” she said. “I apply CBD oil to my coffee, into my water bottle. And throughout the day, I take two CBD gummies.”
Natalia believes that CBD helps her focus on one thing at a time, furthering her creative power over individual tasks. And she’s not alone.
Andrea, a Graphic Designer right here at CBD Choice, feels similarly. “I have increased my concentration on one thing at a time,” she told me.
But CBD helps with much more than just concentration. In fact, CBD has been linked to a plethora of anxietal-depressive disorders, calming the symptoms of such ailments. “CBD calms me down to a normal level,” said Andrea. “It reduces anxiety at work. I feel more comfortable walking up to people and asking questions, getting clear answers, and moving forward instead of getting hung up on one thought.”
A CBD-INFUSED WORKFORCE
CBD may soon prove to be this generation’s wonder drug, in line with societal belief. And with everything we’ve seen surrounding CBD research, it won’t come as much of a shock to most. Certainly not to us.
And as CBD continues to rise in popularity, reaching everyone from collegiate athletes to suburban house husbands, it’s only assumed that we’ll see more and more CBD popping up in the workforce, especially with the surplus of discreet and easy-to-miss products containing cannabidiol, such as CBD lotions and CBD gummy bears.
CBD may prove to be a workforce superstar, helping with everything from presentation anxiety to increased well-being. It might help you stand strong over creative tasks or it might help you simply stay focused. But whatever your reasoning, “I definitely would recommend using CBD in the workplace!” exclaimed Natalia. You heard it here first.
