Category: Cannabis/CBD

“In this article, integrative medicine expert, Dr. Dani Gordon, answers peoples’ question of whether cannabis and CBD can affect contracting or recovering from COVID-19, or coronavirus.

People are asking if cannabis and CBD can help buffer the immune system against getting COVID-19 in the first place, and if you do get it, can CBD and cannabis help treat it? What about the possibility that NSAID anti-inflammatory drugs may have a negative effect on the virus once you are infected and wait a —minute – CBD is an anti-inflammatory too, so what does that mean for CBD?

CBD, cannabis, and coronavirus
As for CBD and cannabis, we don’t have any studies showing it has any effect on the coronavirus, although there are some interesting studies on medical cannabis and smoked cannabis use and HIV progression.

As both a cannabis specialist and doctor trained in natural medicine and western medicine, it is important to let people know the facts and be totally honest about what we don’t know. It’s also critical not to make false claims when we are all understandably a bit scared, and of course, want to do everything we can to protect ourselves and our loved ones.

This effect can distance our more ‘conventional’ medicine and research colleagues who are not well versed in botanical medicine, and hurt the progress plant medicine has made in recent years in gaining support and credibility through academic research and inquiry, partnering with the research and those physicians open-minded enough to consider them.

Read the full article at Medical Cannabis Network

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO USE CANNABIS?

Cannabis and its extracts, like CBD oil, can be consumed in an astounding number of ways. Most options fall into a few general categories, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages. You’ll experience different effects if you smoke CBD-rich flower or vape a THC-rich cartridge; swallow a gelcap or drop CBD oil under your tongue.

The key differences between ways of using cannabis pertain to these questions:

1. Onset: How quickly will cannabinoids begin to work?
2. Dose: What’s a reasonable starting dose?
3. Distribution: Which parts of the body will be most affected?
4. Duration: How long will the effects last?

INHALATION: SMOKING AND VAPING 

• Onset: Seconds to minutes.
• Dose: As little as a puff may be necessary. A typical joint is 0.3 – 1.0 grams of cannabis.
• Distribution: Affects the lungs immediately, then the heart and brain, then is distributed fairly evenly throughout the body.[1]
• Duration: Most effects, including psychoactivity, subside after 2-3 hours.

When drugs are inhaled through the lungs, they are sent to the brain before getting metabolized by the liver. This makes inhalation the fastest method for administering cannabis. Usually, between 20-30% of the phytocannabinoids like THC and CBD are absorbed this way. The heat from either smoking or vaporizing cannabis converts the acid cannabinoids into their neutral forms.

SMOKING VS. VAPING, BUD VS. OIL 

One inhales cannabinoids by smoking or vaporizing flowers. Cannabis oil extracts can also be vaporized or dabbed. The main issue with smoking is that smoke is harmful to the lungs. Although smoking cannabis is not associated with lung cancer or COPD, there are health issues associated with breathing any kind of smoke (e.g. chronic cough, congestion, asthma). The cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) appears not to vaporize well, so smoking or non-inhaled administration methods may be necessary to get benefits from THCV.

EDIBLES / CAPSULES

• Onset: 1-2 hours.
• Dose: The threshold for mild psychoactive effects is 3 mg THC in most new users. Doses of CBD-rich products range from 5 mg to hundreds of milligrams. [2]
• Distribution: Absorbed through the gut and modified in the liver, then spreads fairly evenly throughout the body.
• Duration: Psychoactive effects subside after about 6 hours in most people. Other effects may last up to 12 hours.

Ingested cannabinoids are absorbed through the intestines and sent to the liver. It takes about an hour to feel effects when taken on an empty stomach, or up to three hours with food. People should not re-dose THC edibles for at least three hours after ingestion.

Read more at article PROJECT CBD

Study finds artisanal CBD not as effective as pharmaceutical CBD for reducing seizures.
Children and teens with epilepsy who were treated with pharmaceutical cannabidiol (CBD) had much better seizure control than those who were treated with artisanal CBD, according to a preliminary study to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 72nd Annual Meeting in Toronto, Canada, April 25 to May 1, 2020.

“The use of medical cannabis to treat various medical conditions has grown in recent years. While not always legal, artisanal CBD has been available longer, so some people have been using it to treat epilepsy for years,” said study author Nathan T. Cohen, M.D., of Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C., and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “They may want to reconsider because our research indicates that pharmaceutical CBD may indeed be more effective than artisanal CBD.”

However, 11 participants reported side effects. All were taking pharmaceutical CBD. Side effects included sleepiness, low appetite, nausea and diarrhea. Six of those participants stopped taking pharmaceutical CBD due to side effects.

Another limitation of the study was that it was a look back at medical records. It did not involve participants who were given either pharmaceutical or artisanal CBD and then followed over time.

Read the full article at SciTechDaily

“The 2014 Agricultural Act, which made it permissible to grow industrial hemp, was a stepping stone that paved the way for the skyrocketing growth of the CBD oil industry. And with the recent passing of the 2018 Hemp Farming Act that removed hemp (cannabis with less than 0.3 percent THC) from the Schedule, I Controlled Substances List, CBD manufacturers are able to now legally sell their products across state lines.

In order for CBD oil to be legally sold throughout the United States, it needs to contain less than 0.3 percent THC, otherwise known as the psychoactive cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant. And thanks to countless studies supporting the therapeutic benefits of the oil, now, more people than ever are incorporating it into their daily lives.

Today’s CBD oil market is flooded with companies looking to sell their products to the next enthusiastic buyer. But competing with all of those reputable companies are a host of dishonest CBD manufacturers seeking to scam consumers through sub-par products loaded with toxins, pesticides, and other unnecessary chemicals.

How Our Best CBD Oil List is Made

Always practice caution when purchasing CBD oil online. Remember that not all CBD manufacturers are equal. In fact, a great number of companies have been closed down by the FDA due to false information about the CBD content in their products.

Not only were those companies’ products less potent but upon further testing, it was also found that the products contained harmful chemicals and pesticides as well. Therefore, our Best CBD Oil List was created after careful examination of the practices, reputations, and methods of some of the best, highly-rated online CBD manufacturers.

What to Consider Before Buying CBD Oil

Among the things to consider before buying CBD oil are the following:

1. Hemp Source — The best hemp is full-spectrum, organically grown, is tested and/or verified by an FDA facility, and is harvested from a Colorado farm.
2. THC Levels — In order for CBD oils to be legally sold across state lines throughout the United States, products must contain less than 0.3 percent THC.
3. Discover what form of CBD works best for you. Full-spectrum, isolate, and broad-spectrum work differently with everyone’s body.
4. Thoroughly read and investigate the labels of products you are interested in purchasing for their list of ingredients.
5. Check to see if the company you want to buy from makes their third-party lab results easily accessible on their website. If so, then take the time to carefully read through them.

Read the full article at Observer

“It’s always good news when the only dealer that can supply your Devil’s Kale tells you they are soon going to have even more cannabis to buy. Yes!

Except when it’s bad news because your dealer is the Drug Enforcement Administration. And much like someone with untreated ADHD using a 40-watt sun lamp in a cardboard box to grow three sickly plants, the DEA is the nation’s worst grower.

Last week, the DEA announced they will be producing even more cannabis in 2020. It’s a 30 percent increase to 3.2 million grams, or over 7,000 pounds of that sweet, potent federal flower. The struggle with quality versus quantity is still an issue where the DEA has shown no progress, in turn undercutting all federally funded cannabis research.

Last month in a two-part series of columns for the Portland Mercury profiling Elvy Musikka (one of the last remaining recipients of federally grown cannabis for medical use), I had several joints from the six pounds of pre-rolls Elvy picks up annually in Miami from the Feds tested by Green Leaf Labs. The results of this sad sub-swag were pathetic: 5.3 percent THC, with no measurable terpenes. (You know, just like everyone is trying to find at the dispensaries.) Perhaps not too surprising, seeing as researchers have complained for years about receiving a ground-up mixture of leaves, flowers, and stems, sometimes with mold.

The quality factor could change substantially if other producers were allowed to grow for the Feds, which the DEA has been promising to do for over three years, with more than 30 grow applicants each paying a $3,000 deposit, which the DEA still holds. They say they need to establish additional rules around these new potential growers and has given no date as to when these regulations are expected to be introduced.

An increase in cannabis research is both needed and welcomed, but using cannabis which is not used by consumers, patients, or anyone isn’t true research. It radically skews towards a less effective, more harmful series of outcomes for test subjects. It hamstrings researchers from discovering the true potential and risks of cannabis. Hopefully, the DEA will move to get cracking on those grower applications. I assure you, there is no shortage of growers who could consistently produce better than what Ole Miss is vomiting up.

The Stranger

Cannabidiol (CBD) oil and other products containing CBD are being touted as a natural, organic remedy for a wide range of women’s health concerns. Sellers of these products make many claims: CBD has calming effects on sleep, mood, and anxiety; eases hot flashes and improves bone density by balancing hormonal changes of menopause; and has anti-inflammatory properties that clear skin, cure acne, and calm rosacea. It’s promoted for PMS symptoms like bloating and mood swings. And CBD-infused lubricants claim to boost arousal and enjoyment of sex. So, how much of this is true?

Does CBD have proven benefits?

So far, there’s not much evidence on the medical benefits of CBD, partly because laws on marijuana made it difficult to study. Until we learn more, it’s wise to keep in mind that few high-quality studies have been done.

• In 2018 the FDA approved a drug derived from CBD to treat rare forms of childhood epilepsy. This medication was shown in randomized clinical trials to reduce the frequency of seizures (see here and here).

• A few studies have found CBD may improve anxiety, but the studies were small and of poor quality (see here and here).

• Some laboratory research on human cells suggests CBD may have anti-inflammatory effects on oil-secreting glands in the skin. This might have implications for acne and other inflammatory skin disorders, but further research is needed to confirm this. And while CBD in skin products is unlikely to harm you, most dermatologists agree that there are more effective and better-studied medications and treatments for acne and inflammatory skin disorders.

Are our CBD products safe?

The short answer is this: pure CBD seems to be safe for most people. However, we don’t have rigorous studies and long-term data to prove whether or not a wide range of CBD products are safe for everyone. For example, there is no evidence to suggest that CBD is safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding, or for people who are immunocompromised.

Because CBD products aren’t regulated by the FDA in the way that drugs are, there is a huge variation in quality and, quite possibly, safety. In 2017–2018, counterfeit CBD oil was found that contained synthetic cannabinoids and led to a poisoning outbreak in Utah.

The takeaway

There are a lot of extravagant product claims out there about the benefits of CBD for women, but little high-quality research supports them. CBD oil and other CBD products aren’t well regulated. It’s possible what you are buying is counterfeit or contaminated. Before using CBD — especially if you plan to vape or ingest it — first talk with your doctor or healthcare provider to learn whether it could be safe and helpful for you.

Harvard Health Publishing

“Walk down most high streets in the UK and you’ll recognize many of the familiar sights: betting shops, clothing stores, and fast-food chains.

In the past few years, there’s been a new fixture greeting shoppers: CBD retailers.

There has been an explosion in the mainstream market for products containing the cannabis derivative, ranging from sweets to creams and even sexual lubricants.

With around six million people in the UK having tried CBD bought in shops and online, ITV News delves deeper into the compound craze.

What is CBD and which products does it appear in?

Cannabidiol, or CBD for short, is the non-intoxicating component in marijuana, which means it can’t get you high.

You’ll find it in an array of products, from teas to shampoos, on the high street – often in small businesses selling vapes – and on the internet.

What are the claimed health benefits?

Much of the buzz about CBD comes from recent studies of medical marijuana.

Among the findings from extensive research is the suggestion CBD can have a positive impact on patients with epilepsy.

Earlier this year, the first-ever cannabis clinic in Britain opened on Harley Street in London, treating patients suffering from conditions such as chronic pain, PTSD and epilepsy using medicinal CBD.

While in the US, the federal government’s health branch recently approved its first-ever cannabis-derived medicine for epilepsy conditions, Epidiolex, which contains CBD.

What’s the difference?

The strength of CBD on the high street, its quality and where it is sourced from is vastly different from CBD used in clinical trials.

Patients in clinical research are given much higher doses of CBD compared to what you can get over the counter in shops.

According to the peer-reviewed British Medical Journal (BMJ), the non-medicinal high street products contain around 25 mg (2%) CBD, compared to 150-1500 mg/day in clinical trials, which is often administered orally.

Continue reading at iTV

“One of my favorite quotes from my interview with Chelsea Handler in the current issue of Green Entrepreneur magazine — and there are many — is when she said, “The world is only getting browner, gayer, and higher, so you’d better hop on the bus.” Just four years ago, who could have imagined that today, 12 U.S. states would permit the use of recreational marijuana — with more predicted to decriminalize the plant in 2020?

The legal weed train has left the station, and there’s no turning back. But how the mainstream will marijuana become? I’m writing this note from Los Angeles, the epicenter of the cannabis business, where every street corner has a fancy billboard for a new dispensary or brand. MedMen, which has been called the Apple store of weed, has an expensive ad campaign calling cannabis use “the new normal.” This is a clever phrase, and I want to believe it’s true, but I wonder if some of us are living in a bubble.

Even in so-called progressive communities like Brookline, Mass., residents staged a protest rally when the news dropped of a retail pot shop opening on their streets. The tony Santa Barbara region in California is booming with outdoor grows, but when locals kept complaining that it smelled like a Phish concert, cultivators were forced to find a solution or risk being sued. National fitness industry giants such as Equinox and SoulCycle are carrying CBD lines, but when Ricky Williams and others tried to open a weed gym, called Power Plant Fitness (great name, btw), in San Francisco, regulations made it impossible.

The cannabis movement has made tremendous progress — economically, socially, and legally — but there’s still work to be done. Education is the word on every smart entrepreneur’s lips. The more people understand the benefits of the plant, the more the deep-seated stigma starts to wither away.

That’s why some dispensary owners meet with community members to allay concerns before opening stores. And that’s why Handler will include personal notes with each of her products explaining what dose to take and feeling to expect. If everyone in the business continues to educate, the question won’t be whether cannabis can be normalized; the question will be when.

MySA

“Within less than two years cannabidiol (CBD) has sounded off the tongues of mums, doctors, and internet bloggers as if it was vitamin D, caffeine, or moisturizer cream. Now, the USA’s best CBD companies have finally arrived across the pond in the United Kingdom.

The USA is flooded with reviews of CBD products. There are tons of positive and negative reviews out there. The UK’s delayed entry into the CBD market means that if you want to buy CBD oil in the UK then you don’t need to make the same mistakes as your American friends. We are here to help you in your search for the best CBD oil in the UK.

What are the Best CBD products in the UK?

Although the most popular method of ingesting CBD is in an oil, it’s not the only way. Here are some products you can buy today that contain CBD:

1. CBD Tinctures are often synonymous with CBD oils. These are small bottles with single-serve droppers. You can ingest tinctures, or you can add oil to foods and drinks.
2. CBD Vapes boast fast absorption rates, with effects beginning seconds after inhaling and peaking within ten minutes. They come in a variety of flavors and can be infused with natural essences. You can buy vapes in disposable pens or refillable cartridges.
3. CBD Edibles are popular because they’re so easy — just pop one in your mouth on your way to the office or after a workout. You can buy sweet edibles, like gummies, or savory ones, like granola bars. Companies portion CBD into each serving, so you know exactly how much CBD you’re ingesting.
4. CBD Topicals use your skin as the absorption method, penetrating your muscles and tissues and soothing aches and pains. Topicals come in creams, lotions, or sprays — ideal for joint and back problems.
5. CBD Capsules, like edibles, are ingested. Each pill has a measured serving of CBD mixed with a carrier oil. They’re a perfect option for those looking for fast and precise dosing.

How to Take CBD Oil in the UK

Use the tincture to dispense droplets under your tongue and hold there for 60 seconds before swallowing. This will help the CBD to enter your system and get to work faster

Read more at SFWeekly

“The CBD industry is flourishing, conservatively projected to hit $16 billion in the United States by 2025. Already, the plant extract is being added to cheeseburgers, toothpicks and breath sprays. More than 60 percent of CBD users have taken it for anxiety, according to a survey of 5,000 people, conducted by the Brightfield Group, a cannabis market research firm. Chronic pain, insomnia, and depression follow behind. Kim Kardashian West, for example, turned to the product when “freaking out” over the birth of her fourth baby. The professional golfer Bubba Watson drifts off to sleep with it. And Martha Stewart’s French bulldog partakes, too.

What are the claims?

CBD is advertised as providing relief for anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. It is also marketed to promote sleep. Part of CBD’s popularity is that it purports to be “nonpsychoactive,” and that consumers can reap health benefits from the plant without the high (or the midnight pizza munchies).

Just as hemp seedlings are sprouting up across the United States, so is the marketing. From oils and nasal sprays to lollipops and suppositories, it seems no place is too sacred for CBD. “It’s the monster that has taken over the room,” Dr. Brad Ingram, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, said about all the wild uses for CBD now. He is leading a clinical trial into administering CBD to children and teenagers with drug-resistant epilepsy.

Does CBD work?

Last year, the F.D.A. approved Epidiolex, a purified CBD extract, to treat rare seizure disorders in patients 2 years or older after three randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled clinical trials with 516 patients that showed the drug, taken along with other medications, helped to reduce seizures. These types of studies are the gold standard in medicine, in which participants are divided by chance, and neither the subject nor the investigator knows which group is taking the placebo or the medication.

Continue reading at The New York Times

“People like vaping because it’s a smokeless, convenient, and fast-acting way to consume pleasure-inducing chemicals including THC and nicotine. It’s also potentially quite dangerous—and that’s also true when it comes to vaping cannabidiol, the popular cannabis-derived compound known as CBD. In fact, thanks to a regulatory no-man’s-land, a consumer craze, and manufacturers who dilute extract with oils better suited for salad dressings, CBD vapes are uniquely risky.

As of Oct. 10, more than 1,200 cases of a mysterious vaping-related illness, and 26 related deaths had been reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is advising consumers to “consider refraining” from vaping altogether. Of the 771 patients the CDC previously reported data on, the majority reported vaping THC and/or nicotine. Only about 17% reported having vaped a CBD product, but there is still good reason for CBD enthusiasts to take note—and even to be especially cautious.

While no single brand, product, or ingredient has been identified as the cause of the 1,000-plus cases of vaping-associated pulmonary injury—first called VAPI and now renamed EVALI—we do know that many of the affected patients were vaping illicit, and therefore unregulated, THC products. Tests showed many of those contained vitamin E acetate, an oil derived from vitamin E—which is considered safe for skincare but not for inhalation.

While the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been struggling to research and regulate both CBD and vaping separately, the agency has allowed manufacturers to flood the market with both types of products. In the FDA’s eyes, none of these products are legal, as they have not been evaluated or regulated for their safety. And where these two categories overlap in CBD vapes is a grey area that’s ripe for exploitation at the risk of consumers’ health. According to analysts at Cowen and Company, that grey area was worth an estimated $40 million in sales in 2018.

In May of this year, the FDA held a public hearing where more than 100 stakeholders—patients, manufacturers, and researchers among them—testified about their experiences with CBD. Now, the industry is waiting for a timeline for regulation, which was expected this autumn, but has yet to appear. In the meantime, the FDA considers an interstate sale of CBD as a food additive or nutritional supplement (ie., all those candies, canned sodas, and tinctures) to be illegal. But it’s not enforcing the law so long as operators in the estimated $590 million market for hemp-derived CBD adhere to the broader rules for the categories they fall in, whether that’s food, supplements, or cosmetics.

Read the complete article at Quartz

“CBD is in our lattes, moisturizers, and chocolates, but what about its use in a hospital setting instead of your local café or beauty store? Although more study is needed, research suggests that CBD may have the potential to help relieve certain side effects of chemotherapy.

CBD is short for cannabidiol, which is one of the many compounds found in cannabis and hemp. Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it’s non-psychoactive. Manufacturers have found a way to separate CBD from the plants, and the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (aka the Farm Bill) legalized hemp-derived CBD that contains no more than 0.3% THC and is made from hemp grown by licensed producers. (That’s why you’ve seen so many CBD products recently.) But so far, the Food and Drug Administration has only approved one form of CBD: Epidiolex, a drug containing a purified marijuana-derived form of CBD, which is used for preventing seizures caused by rare forms of epilepsy.

A 2016 review of medical marijuana’s use in oncology, published by the American Medical Association journal JAMA Oncology, notes, “Marijuana in oncology may have potential for use as an antiemetic [relieving nausea and vomiting], for refractory cancer pain, and as an antitumor agent. However, much of the data are based on animal data, small trials, or are outdated.” The authors concluded that more research is needed for medical marijuana’s therapeutic use for cancer patients.

There is even less research into CBD’s potential benefits for cancer patients. But still, some studies have been conducted. According to the National Cancer Institute, research indicates that CBD may slow the growth or reduce the risk of recurrence of certain kinds of cancers, including breast cancer; enhance the potency of certain medications; and reduce chemotherapy side effects including vomiting, nausea, and anxiety. However, all these studies are limited, and experts agree that further research is needed to understand just how CBD affects humans.

The American Cancer Society stresses that cannabis in any form should never be used as a sole form of cancer treatment. In a statement, they urge for more research into the use of cannabinoids for cancer patients and add, “Medical decisions about pain and symptom management should be made between the patient and his or her doctor, balancing evidence of benefit and harm to the patient, the patient’s preferences and values, and any laws and regulations that may apply.”

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