CBD: It’s Legality, Efficacy and the Need for Quality Control

It seems like in just the last few months, CBD has gone from being taboo to become the hot, trendy product in alternative medicine that people just can’t wait to get their hands on. Part of the reason the compound is becoming more widely accepted is due to all the knowledge that has been collected over the years regarding the compound’s efficacy in providing health benefits.

It is also being recognized as an alternative to THC, providing similar benefits without the psychoactive effects.

The knowledge we have collected regarding CBD stems from several studies that have been conducted regarding its health benefits. Though studies have been conducted to determine how it can be helpful in treating everything from anxiety to cancer, this article will focus more on the studies that focus on CBD in regards to general usage, efficacy, quality and legality.

Feb. 2018: As the use of cannabinoids is becoming more widespread, many companies are developing synthetic cannabinoids. These have resulted in adverse side effects that are similar to the ones cannabinoids provide but they are more severe in nature.

This study looked at the harmful effects of synthetic cannabinoids by reviewing past research conducted. It was found that these can cause executive function impairment affecting memory, attention span and other cognitive ability. The amount of harm the drugs did varied. This varied by the type of drug, dosage, quantity, age of the patient and duration of use.

In spite of these variables, it was determined that it’s important to understand more about the side effects of synthetic cannabinoids before moving forward with use.

May 2018: As cannabis oil-based preparations are becoming more popular, this study was conducted to find out more about regulations for quality under European legislation.

Europe doesn’t consider CBD to be a controlled substance, so companies can produce and distribute products, but there are no legal guarantees on quality.

The study examined 14 samples that were commercially available in Europe to determine their quality. Results showed that nine of the samples had concentrations that differed greatly from the amount indicated on the package, while the other five were true to the declared amount.

This evidence enforces a need for stricter, more standardized regulations on CBD products in Europe, and perhaps all over the world.

July 2018: This cross-sectional study looked at CBD and what it is being commonly used to treat to determine reasons for its growing popularity. The study focused on a questionnaire sent out to participants who were recruited through social media. The questionnaire was accessed from Oct. 25, 2017 to Jan. 25, 2018.

Results determined that 62% of users turned to CBD to treat a medical condition. These were mostly pain, anxiety and depression. 36% of those said CBD treated their condition very well, while 4.3% were dissatisfied with the product. One out of three users reported a non-serious side effect.

This data shows that CBD is a promising therapeutic treatment and that further research is needed to determine its potential.

July 2018: Although CBD is becoming more legally and socially accepted in the United States, the quality of the products is still questionable and the complete chemical analysis of what is being sold is not always revealed to its users.

In this study, a group of phytochemists worked to characterize the accumulation of phytochemicals (bioactive chemicals found in plants) in material grown by licensed commercial producers.

Extraction and analysis methods were used and there was a variability in the flower metabolytes which is due to the flower’s maturity and its position on the plant. This makes for a variability in the terpenes composition which can define the cannabis strain into different types.

Therefore, inclusion of terpenoids with cannabinoids in the analysis of medical compounds should be encouraged, as the class of the compound can made a difference in the medical benefits.

July 2018: This review focused on the legalization of cannabis in Colorado. Although the use of medical marijuana and other forms of cannabis was approved for debilitating medical conditions by an amendment in the constitution made in 2000, several regulations were put in place to control its use.

The types of administrations of compounds were specified and the differentiation of CBD edibles and what would be considered ‘food’ was put into place.

Further regulations were put in place to differentiate between CBD, CBD derived from hemp and marijuana to regulate use and growing laws.

Sept. 2018: This was a review of the main advances CBD brought to neuropsychiatry based on the finding of Brazilian researchers. It was found that the compound has anxiolytic, antipsychotic and neuroprotective properties.

This makes CBD a promising treatment for conditions like:

• Epilepsy
• Substance abuse and dependence
• Schizophrenia
• Social phobia
• Post traumatic stress
• Depression
• Bipolar disorder
• Sleep disorders
• Parkinson’s

It is hopeful that more testing will provide answers that can support CBD use in a clinical setting.

Sept. 2018: At the time of this review, CBD was still considered a controlled substance by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In spite of that, the industry was growing with projected retail sells going as high as $1.9 billion by 2020. The compound is now widely available online, over the counter and at cannabis specific dispensaries.

Another breakthrough is the recent FDA approval of Epidiolex (CBD) as a treatment for childhood epilepsy.

Those that argue for the legalization of CBD state that it comes from parts of the plant that does not meet the definition of cannabis as defined in the Controlled Substance Act, that it is non-psychoactive and that it is derived from industrial hemp cultivated as part of a state pilot program according to the 2014 Farm Act.

Although, at the time it seemed CBD’s lawful status was under review, it was difficult to predict where the government would take it from there.

Nov. 2018: CBD is being used to treat several conditions, but animal studies indicate that bioavailability is low. This study was conducted to determine if this is the case when the compound is administered to humans.

To determine CBD’s effects, all articles were retrieved on the from PubMed and EMBASE that focused on the pharmacokinetic data of CBD in humans.

Findings were that the half life of CBD was between 1.4 and 10.9 hours after an oral spray, 2–5 days after chronic oral administration, 24 hours after I.V administration and 31 hours after smoking. It was also found that smoking was the fastest way to start feeling the benefits of CBD consumption.

Although some discrepancies were found in the data collected, the researchers determined that there is a need to explore further as the bioavailability of the compound is crucial to the compound’s future success.

Jan. 2019: This review focuses on the need for quality regulation in the selling of CBD products.

It notes that, although the compound has been known to provide several health benefits, there are still many variables present in non-FDA approved products. This can especially be the case in producers that do not provide laboratory results that show the product was tested and proves the quality and purity is up to the standards that are being advertised.

The article also makes mention of the recently approved Epidiolex which is FDA approved to treat childhood epilepsy. Because the product is FDA approved, its quality does not need to be questioned.

In addition to low quality CBD products not providing the desired results, they have also been known to result in adverse effects like harm to the liver and suicidal ideation.

Feb. 2019: This study used advanced technology to measure the real time effects of cannabis products. It was conducted between June 2016 and March 2018 and involved 3,341 people who administered cannabis in a total of 19,019 self-administered cannabis studies.

The participants were asked to record the type of cannabis product they were using, the combustion method, the cannabis subspecies and the major cannabis compounds. They were asked to give real time ratings of the effects.

Results of the study showed that the dried flower is most commonly used and associated with symptom relief. Products that were higher in THC also provided greater symptom relief as well as both positive and negative side effects. CBD, on the other the other hand, was not associated with symptom relief or side effects.

Looking over these reviews and studies, it’s clear that CBD has become a long way, but it still has a long way to go. Quality regulation and side effects continue to be a big problem when it comes to the use of the compound due to different variables that can come into play.

Despite these issues and some findings that dispute the efficacy of CBD, it is hopeful that studies will continue and regulations will be put into place so that the compound can become more widely used and more effective in the benefits it can provide.