CBD - The New Wild West

"Ten years ago, when you talked about cannabis, you were talking about dried plant material that people smoked," says Ryan Vandry, associate professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University. "Now cannabis is a blanket term that could mean hemp oil, topical creams, CBD products or high THC concentrates that can be smoked, vaped or orally ingested." As well as dried plant material that people smoke. Is it any wonder that confusion is rampant?

The first thing to be clear about is the difference between THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). THC is the substance that produces the euphoric "high" associated with marijuana. CBD is not intoxicating and produces most (not all) of the medically interesting benefits now claimed for marijuana and hemp.

The battle lines are drawn and people tend to either demonize cannabis or say it is the greatest medical discovery since penicillin. Unsurprisingly, the truth lies somewhere in  between.

A discussion of the scientific basis for the health claims made for cannabis products is for another day. What I want to call your attention to is the marketing wild west show surrounding the products. The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the interstate transport of and commerce in CBD-based products. Since then its hard to turn your head without being assaulted by another company offering you the incredible health benefits of CBD - relief from pain, anxiety, seizures, sleep problems and more.

The truth is that there are enormous medical possibilities for CBD but presently very few independent clinical studies have been done supporting its efficacy. But that doesn't slow down the marketing department, which is out promoting it for everything under the sun. Legal is not advisable. Harmless is not effective.

Whether CBD is a medication or a nutrient is still be be settled. But one thing the two have in common is scandalously misleading and unregulated labeling. In States where testing has been done the results are troubling. "You cannot rely on labels," Daniele Piomelli, professor of anatomy and neurology at UC Irvine, says flatly.

A 2018 California Bureau of Cannabis Control study tested over 25,000 products and found that 70% of them were mislabeled either for content or potency. Nearly 15% failed tests for purity, containing traces of pesticides or industrial solvents. "Some contained only barely detectable levels of CBD," said Piomelli, "and one in five contained detectable levels of THC."

If you want to try CBD by all means do so. But caveat emptor. You cannot rely on the marketing information provided to you by the vendor. The burden of doing the research to determine whether or not CBD is a candidate for your situation falls squarely on you. But you can't stop there. You need to research the company supplying the product just as carefully. Many of them are mislabeling their products and lying to you. Be especially suspicious of incredible offers you receive via an online add.

Its the wild west out there folks. Be careful.