A selection of our products
CBD oil capabilities await standardization to be fully utilized.
Since Raphael Mechoulam isolated tetrahydrocannabinol, better known as THC, in 1964, there has been a lot of buzz about it. Meanwhile he actually had his eye on CBD or cannabidiol, another chemical compound found in cannabis, as reported by Wired.
He was interested in the seizure-curbing effects of CBD in laboratory animals and improving sleep in people with insomnia. In the 80s after publishing the results of a small clinical trail showing CBD reduced seizure in seven out of eight epileptic patients tested, he expected funding to flow in from pharmaceutical companies for larger studies to be conducted. …Nothing happened, and the funding was not forthcoming.
CBD three decades later
It seems he was way ahead of his time, as things are starting to change, with more and more states legalizing medical and even recreational marijuana. CBD is coming under research scrutiny. The general hypothesis is that CBD is responsible for many of cannabis’ therapeutic qualities and none of its adverse effects, like getting high. Some states left THC illegal but legalized CBD for instance Alabama and Florida have chosen this route.
Researchers and scientists are scrambling to catch up with the hype around CBD oil capabilities. It is no easy task, as medical marijuana is difficult to study as long as it remains a schedule 1 drug. Researchers need the approval of several federal agencies to do research.
Pharmaceutical companies won’t invest in funding studies of whole plant cannabis because they can’t make their money back by patenting and selling the plant.
Scientists know CBD doesn’t make you high. It interacts with enzymes that metabolize THC, keeping you from absorbing it too fast. It also interacts with the endocannabinoid system. It enhances the activation of serotonin receptors, which might be why it has success in treating some symptoms of schizophrenia. Or it might be the effect of anti-psychotic properties preventing anadamide from breaking down too quickly as a study in 2012 suggested.
This hyper-involved uncertainty is commonly found in CBD research as researchers study its effects even though they don’t fully understand the mechanism behind the effect.
Roger Pertwee, a pharmacologist at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland who has been studying cannabis since the 1960s listed the conditions CDB has shown some promise for treating: in addition to schizophrenia, anxiety, depression, nausea and vomiting, certain types of pain, stroke, morphine dependency, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, neurodegenerative disorders, epilepsy, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, inflammatory bowel disease, psoriasis, and arthritis may all be targets for CBD research. It might even have antibiotic properties. CBD “Does seem to be a wonder drug in some ways,” he says, “a potential wonder drug.”
Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies needed
What is needed for potentially to become actually are the large double-blind, placebo-controlled studies that are the gold standard of pharmaceutical research. “Without those types of studies, marijuana still falls short of the minimum threshold that we expect for our medicines.” says Raul Gonzalez, psychologist at Florida International University who studies the effects of marijuana on HIV/AIDS patients.
A few studies are on the way looking into CBD-only products and synthetic CBD. If approved by the FDA, those drugs will be available by prescription, with standard dosages and a list of recommended usages.
Right now patients go for CBD oil or for plants with low THC, high CBD content such as Charlotte’s web used to curb seizure in children diagnosed with epilepsy. But no one regulates these products or tests them to confirm they contain what they say they contain. This is worrying to a lot of scientists and physicians.
Many researchers live in hope that CBD will fulfill its potential but when it comes to developing a new medicine, it’s their job to be skeptical until it’s proven safe and effective, with a set dosage and a known list of side-effects guiding patients’ and doctors’ to make well informed decisions.
In order for people to be consistently helped, formulations need to be standardized and manufactured according to best practice.
CBD oil capabilities
CBD oil’s potential capabilities are not what is in question, but a reputable source for this compound is what causes concern. Even if you are desperate to obtain the potential “wonder drug” please make sure the product is labeled and contains only what it states it does. Discuss your choice with your physician and do not discontinue standard medications.
