Guide to Wellness – July 2019

CBD for Pain Relief?

44 GUIDE TO WELLNESS CR.ORG

For example, it appears to act as

an anti-inflammatory, which means

it could relieve pain from arthritis,

as well as garden-variety muscle

soreness. It also has many effects

on brain chemistry, which could ease

anxiety, depression, and post-

traumatic stress disorder.

The CBD market is exploding,

expected to multiply sevenfold by

2021, to $2.15 billion from roughly

$292 million in 2016, according to the

Brightfield Group, a market research

firm that specializes in cannabis.

Thousands of CBD products—oils,

tinctures, pills, and liquids used in

vaping devices (similar to e-cigarettes)—

are now widely available in retail

stores and online. The World Anti-

Doping Agency removed CBD from its

list of banned substances in January,

and some athletes now turn to it

for pain relief instead of ibuprofen

and related drugs.

What’s more, in early July the Food

and Drug Administration for the first

time approved a prescription drug

(Epidiolex) with CBD as its active

ingredient, which cut seizures by about

40 percent in people with two rare

but devastating forms of epilepsy.

Whether it’s sourced from marijuana

or hemp, CBD does not get users high.

That’s because a different compound

in marijuana—called tetrahydrocan-

nabinol, or THC—is what causes a high.

Regardless, CBD remains at the center

of several controversies and plenty

of consumer confusion surrounding

both its effectiveness and legality.

Here, we answer consumers’ most

common questions.

Does CBD Really Have

Health Benefits?

The recent FDA approval of Epidiolex,

the CBD-based drug for epilepsy,

is the furthest anyone has come in

establishing efficacy of CBD for any

condition.

But researchers from major

educational institutions, including

Johns Hopkins and the University

of California at San Diego, are study-

ing an array of potential uses.

One important area: opioid addiction.

Some animal studies and early research

in humans suggest that CBD may

help treat that problem and other forms

of substance abuse. Other reports show

that states with medical marijuana

laws have seen drops in the rates of

opioid deaths and use, possibly as people

turn to cannabis products (which

include CBD) as alternatives.

Scientists blame the current paucity

of definitive evidence not necessarily

on the ineffectiveness of cannabis

or CBD, but on government rules that

for years prevented scientists from

using federal money to research the

compound’s possible health benefits.

That’s why the approval of Epidiolex

may well open up a path to more

research on CBD. In fact, some

restrictions have recently been lifted.

Last year, the National Institutes of

Health awarded $140 million toward

cannabis research, with $15 million

going to CBD studies.

The quality of CBD products
can vary, and it's typically
up to companies to determine
whether to test. Look for a
brand that shares its test
results, in a form called a
"Certificate of Analysis," or
COA, which should show
how much CBD and THC
it contains, and if it's free of
contaminants. And consider
this advice:

Don't expect miracles. For
most health problems, CBD’s

benefits are more conjecture

than proof. “I’ve heard from

patients that CBD can be

effective for all kinds of things,”

says Donald Abrams, M.D.,

an oncologist at Zuckerberg

San Francisco General Hospital

who has been researching

cannabis for more than

20 years. But beyond using

CBD to treat epilepsy, “the

data in the medical literature

in regards to what CBD does

is limited to a handful of

randomized controlled trials.”

Consult with your doctor.

Inform your doctor of all the

drugs and supplements you

take, including CBD, in order to

manage your overall care, help

you choose the best treatment

options for your condition, and

guard against potential drug

interactions and other risks.

Be extra cautious if you're

pregnant or nursing. Research

published in the August 2018

issue of Pediatrics found that

cannabinoids can be passed

from a pregnant woman to

her fetus. Experts are particu-

larly cautious when it comes

to marijuana use among

pregnant and nursing women.

Look for a dispensary.

Because there are so many

different types of CBD pro-

ducts and no federal regulatory

standards, healthcare pro-

viders may not know which

forms or dosages work best

for various conditions. Many

doctors will direct patients

to staff members on the

front lines at a state-licensed

dispensary in states where

medical marijuana is legal,

Abrams says. Though training

requirements vary, dispensary

employees may have more

expertise about mode

of delivery and dosage.

4 TIPS FOR SAFER CBD USE

Follow this expert advice to minimize your risk.