Drive to your neighborhood coffeehouse for a cup of CBD-infused cold brew that will take away your anxiety. Head to your local farmer’s market and snap up CBD-infused honey to cure your trouble sleeping. Take a trip to a med spa and pick up a CBD-infused topical cream for your shoulder pain. California has become flooded with CBD products for sale, luring buyers with promises of pain relief and medicinal aid.
Cannabidiol (CBD) oil has become the hot new product in states that have legalized medical marijuana. CBD is a chemical found in marijuana. CBD doesn’t contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana that produces a high. The usual CBD formulation is oil, but CBD is also sold as an extract, a vaporized liquid and an oil-based capsule. Food, drinks and beauty products are among the many CBD-infused products available online.
The buzz about CBD has been fueled by a host of celebrities, healthcare professionals, yoga instructors, parents, politicians and entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on the rage, who have said the CBD oils, salves and tonics relieve their sore muscles, soothe their aches, and alleviate social anxiety.
Even with all the endorsements, though, consumers have no real knowledge of the validity of the claims of CBD’s healing powers. Some labs report that dangerous and deceptive ingredients are showing up in CDB products. A recent study of 84 CBD products bought online showed that more than a quarter of the products contained less CBD than labeled.
The industry’s lack of regulation and transparency has opened the door for serious concerns:
• Product labels are inaccurate or misleading.
• Products contain other additives that alter your mood.
• Metals, pesticides, bacteria and solvents from cannabis plants are surfacing in products.
• Concentrations of CBD are lower than advertised.
• Many products for sale remain untested.
Nationally and in California, there is no requirement yet that CBD products contain the ingredients manufacturers say they do, or the healing power suggested in their marketing brochures. For now, the medical science isn’t there to definitively back up the touted health and therapeutic benefits of CBD products.
Currently, the only CBD product approved by the Food and Drug Administration is prescription oil called Epidiolex. It’s approved to treat two types of epilepsy. Aside from Epidiolex, state laws on the use of CBD vary. While CBD is being studied as a treatment for a wide range of conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and anxiety, research supporting the drug’s benefits is still limited.
CBD use also carries some risks. Though it’s often well-tolerated, CBD can cause side effects, such as dry mouth, diarrhea, reduced appetite, drowsiness and fatigue. CBD can also interact with other medications you’re taking, such as blood thinners.
If you plan to use CBD or products containing CBD, talk to your doctor.