Serge Bloch for Reader's Digest
It’s not the same thing as medical
marijuana
CBD is short for cannabidiol, which is found in cannabis plants. Most
of the CBD products for sale nationwide are made from hemp, a type of
cannabis that is a botanical cousin to marijuana.
CBD won’t make you
high—tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the substance that does that, and
there is very little if any of it in hemp. (The maximum amount of THC
legally allowed in CBD products is 0.3 percent.) Here’s some more in-depth information on CBD, if you’re still curious.
Legal restrictions are fading but not gone
The 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp from the list of banned substances,
where it had lived alongside marijuana since the 1970s. (Hemp can also
be turned into paper, clothes, and more.) But in Idaho, Nebraska, and
South Dakota, CBD is still outlawed. And in states where marijuana is
legal for medicinal or recreational use, CBD products can be made from
marijuana and might, therefore, contain more than the legal limit of
THC. Those products can’t be carried or shipped across state lines, says
the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
It’s taking surprising forms
CBD is commonly sold as a liquid, or tincture, that you place under
your tongue. You can also smoke it via a vape pen with cartridges
containing CBD oil, or buy pills and topical creams. Other CBD-infused
products include bath bombs, ice cream, cocktails, and coffee. Total
sales are estimated to top $1 billion by 2020.
It works on the brain and throughout the body
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describes CBD as
“neuroprotective,” meaning it affects the nervous system,
including
your brain. It interacts with receptors throughout your body, helping it
to relax, fall asleep, and block pain signals.
Some people swear by it
According to Consumer Reports surveys, 26 percent of Americans have
tried CBD, and the majority of users say it helped with anxiety, joint
pain, sleep, and other issues.
It has been used for centuries
Ancient tablets mention that CBD was used medicinally in Asia as far
back as 1800 BC. American medical journals from the 1700s cite hemp
seeds and roots as treatments for incontinence and skin inflammation.
However, there’s (mostly) no proof that CBD delivers
Despite the anecdotal evidence, CBD has not been widely studied,
which is not surprising considering it was illegal until recently. As
Orrin Devinsky, MD, a professor of neurology, neurosurgery, and
psychiatry at NYU Langone Health, puts it, “There’s a lot of religion
out there, but not a lot of data.” The few (mostly small) studies
conducted found that CBD can relieve symptoms of multiple sclerosis,
rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, and anxiety. Animal studies
show it has promise for helping with nerve pain, diabetes, depression,
and more. But until larger, well-designed human studies demonstrate
clear benefits, any claims for CBD products are just that. NIH invested
$15 million in research in 2017, a promising start.
It has been proved to help one condition
Last summer, the FDA approved a drug containing CBD called Epidiolex,
which has been shown to
reduce severe, mostly untreatable epileptic
seizures in children.
You can’t be
certain what you’re buying
In states where marijuana is
legal, you can purchase CBD products at
licensed cannabis
dispensaries. Those products are tested to make sure
they contain what they claim. Elsewhere, because CBD
is not yet
regulated by the FDA, it’s up to manufacturers to do the quality
control. A 2017 Journal of the American Medical Association analysis
reported that almost 70 percent of products sold online do not contain
the amount of CBD stated on the label, with some containing more and
some containing less. Look for companies that test their products and
share the results, such as Bluebird Botanicals, Charlotte’s Web, and
Floyd’s of Leadville. Also, CVS and Walgreens have begun
selling
topical CBD in a few states and certify that their products are
lab-tested for quality and purity.
You might
experience side effects
While CBD has no known serious risks, Dr. Devinsky points out that it
can cause fatigue, weight loss, and diarrhea. It could also interact
with some medications.
Talk to your doctor
before you start taking CBD
(or any other new drug or supplement).
It might take time to kick in
Vaping and liquid forms may provide fast relief for acute pain, but
most CBD products take days or weeks to show any benefits. You may have
to try several products before you find one that helps you. In states
where marijuana is
legal, dispensers are trained to assist.
Your pet might benefit
Ask your vet about CBD tinctures, capsules, and treats for horses,
dogs, and cats, marketed to help relieve hip and joint pain, anxiety,
and seizures.
It offers one
big promise
According to the World Health Organization, CBD is nonaddictive,
which means it could be an alternative to habit-forming opioid drugs. In
their new book Cannabis and CBD for Health and Wellness, Aliza Sherman
and Junella Chin, DO, write, “We believe someday cannabis will be in
everyone’s medicine chests like it used to be.” Assuming, of course, CBD
lives up to its hype. This 16-year-old certainly believes it will. He
couldn’t find relief for his arthritis pain—so he invented his own treatment using CBD oil.
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