The CBD sector is booming with a conservative estimate of $16 billion in sales in the U.S. by 2025. Cheeseburgers, toothpicks and breath sprays already contain this plant extract.
According to a survey of 5,000 people, more than 60% of CBD users have used it to treat anxiety. Chronic pain, insomnia and depression are all common side effects.
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol or CBD, is a lesser-known component of the cannabis sativa plant. Its better-known brother, tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, is the psychoactive component of marijuana. It is said that the plant originated in Central Asia and was first used:
- for medicinal purposes;
- or for ceremonies.
THC and cannabidiol are just two of the plant's more than 100 cannabinoids. THC is psychoactive, while CBD may or may not be, according to research. THC has been shown to increase anxiety, but it's unclear if CBD has the same impact. CBD is being studied to help people who are recovering from their THC addiction and cravings. Hemp is a cannabis with a THC content of less than 0.3%. Although last year it was authorized under federal law, hemp has also maintained control over cannabis-derived products.
What exactly are the allegations?
Anxiety, sadness and post-traumatic stress disorder would be relieved by CBD. It is also advertised as a sleep aid. The appeal of CBD comes from the fact that it is "non-psychoactive," meaning that users can enjoy the medicinal benefits of the plant without getting high. Hemp seedlings grow throughout the country, as does hemp marketing.
CBD seems to be everywhere, from oils and nasal sprays to lollipops and suppositories. Dr. Brad Ingram, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, described all the new applications of CBD as "the monster that invaded the room." He is leading a study to determine whether CBD can help children and adolescents with drug-resistant epilepsy.
What are the virtues of CBD?
After three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical studies involving 516 patients, Epidiolex was approved last year, a refined extract of CBD, to treat uncommon seizure disorders in patients aged 2 years and older. These trials are the gold standard of medicine, since participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups, without either the patient or the investigator knowing whether the group is receiving placebo or treatment.
Although it is possible to treat other diseases with this plant extract, Epidiolex remains the only drug derived from CBD. The majority of research on cannabidiol has been conducted on animals and its current popularity has surpassed science. Ryan Vandrey, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said, "Course 101 on CBD is not quite there yet."
Is CBD effective against anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder?
A four-minute lecture with little time to prepare could be exhausting for children with generalized social anxiety. In a simulated public speaking test, a small study published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology reports that CBD appears to improve malaise and cognitive impairment in people with social anxiety.
Unlike the placebo group, healthy volunteers who were given CBD showed little or no change in their emotional response to unpleasant images or phrases in double-blind research. "If it's a calming drug, it should affect their reactions to stimuli," said Harriet de Wit, co-author of the research and professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Chicago. "However, this is not the case."
Many soldiers return home in battle and PTSD, and they often avoid activities, places, or people that remind them of their horrific experiences. The Department of Veterans Affairs is supporting the first trial of CBD, which will combine CBD with psychotherapy.
Is CBD beneficial for sleep and depression?
Do you ever find yourself standing up late at night watching puppy videos? CBD could be useful as a sleep aid according to MacKillop, co-author of a paper on cannabinoids and sleep, drowsiness was one of the adverse effects of studies on Epidiolex epileptics. "If you're looking for new sleep therapies, this may be a clue," he added.
However, he warns that the negative effects could have been caused by a combination of drugs with other seizure treatments that the children were receiving. There has not yet been a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of sleep problems related to CBD (the gold standard). Anxiety improved, but sleep did not, according to a recent study of 72 psychiatric patients treated with CBD. Dr Scott Shannon, associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado, Denver, and lead author of the study, said: "Overall, we did not find this to be a good sleep therapy."
Sleep disorders can be due to various causes, including depression. According to one study, after consuming CBD, especially in the form of herbal tea , rats tended to adapt better to stressful situations and exhibited less depressive behavior .
Is CBD dangerous?
"If you take pure CBD, it's completely safe," Bonn-Miller said. In the Epidiolex study, diarrhea, drowsiness, lethargy, weakness, rashes, reduced appetite, and increased liver enzymes were all reported as side effects. In addition, it is not known how much daily to safely ingest, or whether to consume it during pregnancy. CBD is not recommended for:
- anxiety;
- PTSD;
- sleep;
- or depression.