CBD (cannabidiol)
A non-intoxicating cannabinoid studied for anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant and neuroprotective properties.
Cannabidiol is a compound found in cannabis and hemp that does not cause intoxication. That absence of a high is part of why it draws interest: it offers a way to study the plant's possible effects without the psychoactive ones.
Preclinical and early clinical work points to antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticonvulsant and neuroprotective properties. The strongest evidence is in epilepsy: several randomised placebo-controlled trials found that purified CBD significantly reduced seizure frequency in two severe childhood syndromes.
Much of that evidence is still preclinical — cell lines and animal models rather than large human trials — and CBD's effect depends heavily on dose, formulation and what it is combined with. It is a molecule with real therapeutic potential, not a cure-all.