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Tag: cannabidiol

  • Can CBD Help With Meth, Cocaine Addiction?

    Can CBD Help With Meth, Cocaine Addiction?

    Researchers examined whether CBD has the potential to treat meth and cocaine addiction.

    CBD could help treat methamphetamine and cocaine addictions, for which there are currently no medication-assisted treatment options, according to a study released earlier this month. 

    The study, published in the journal Molecules, found that CBD helped reduce cocaine and methamphetamine use in rodents, and lowered their risk of relapse after a period of sobriety. The study authors say that the findings indicate that CBD should be explored as a treatment option for humans. 

    “While preliminary, there is some preclinical evidence showing that treatment with CBD might promote resilience to developing cocaine and meth use disorders and might prevent relapse into drug use after a period of abstinence,” the study authors wrote, according to Marijuana Moment.  

    Other Studies

    Studies have shown that mice that are given higher doses of CBD are less likely to continue seeking out cocaine or methamphetamine. After 14 days without meth or cocaine, mice that were given CBD over an extended time period were less likely to relapse. 

    “A limited number of preclinical studies indicate that CBD could have therapeutic properties on cocaine and meth addiction and some preliminary data suggest that CBD may be beneficial in cocaine-crack addiction in humans,” the study authors wrote. “CBD has shown promising results in reducing the inflammation and seizures induced by cocaine and in several preclinical models of addiction to amphetamine, cocaine and meth. Importantly, a brief treatment of CBD induces a long-lasting prevention of reinstatement of cocaine and meth-seeking behaviors.”

    While medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder has become the standard of care, there is currently no option for treating cocaine or meth addiction with medication. 

    “We’re realizing that we don’t have everything we might wish we had to address these different kinds of drugs,” psychiatrist Margaret Jarvis, a distinguished fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, said earlier this year. 

    This isn’t the first time a study has indicated that CBD has potential for treating addiction. Last year a study also found that rats who received CBD were less likely to administer cocaine or alcohol, even when they were cued to take the substances. 

    Researcher Yasmin Hurd, director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, has studied the potential of CBD for treating addiction. 

    “When we started investigating CBD, we hypothesized that perhaps it could decrease drug-taking behavior, but instead we saw that it actually decreased craving,” she said last year. “It was very specific about what it decreased, and that was surprising. Other researchers have replicated what we found, so we are confident in our results.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • FDA Issues Consumer Warning On CBD Products

    FDA Issues Consumer Warning On CBD Products

    The FDA is working to research the safety of CBD and other cannabis products to better understand how to regulate them.

    The Food and Drug Administration has issued a consumer warning urging people to proceed with caution when using CBD products for themselves or their animals. 

    “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes the significant public interest in cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds, particularly CBD,” the warning reads. “However, there are many unanswered questions about the science, safety, and quality of products containing CBD.”

    The FDA has only approved one CBD product, the anti-seizure medication Epidiolex. Despite that, many other products make health claims as they relate to people and animals, but the FDA cautions consumers that these claims are unsubstantiated. 

    More Research Is Needed

    “The FDA has not approved any other CBD products, and there is very limited available information about CBD, including about its effects on the body,” the warning said. 

    The FDA is working to research the safety of CBD and other cannabis products to better understand how to regulate them. This includes looking at the way that CBD affects the liver. Research has indicated that CBD can be linked with liver damage, which is cause for concern as people use the product liberally. 

    More importantly, the FDA points out that people should not use CBD products as a replacement for medical care. 

    “Misleading and false claims associated with CBD products may lead consumers to put off getting important medical care, such as proper diagnosis, treatment, and supportive care,” the warning read. “For that reason, it’s important to talk to your doctor about the best way to treat diseases or conditions with existing, approved treatment options.”

    Protecting Public Health

    The agency has issued warnings to companies that market their CBD products as ways to relieve the effects of certain diseases. 

    “The FDA’s top priority is to protect the public health, and that includes making sure consumers know about products that put their health and safety at greatest risk, such as those claiming to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure serious diseases,” the organization wrote. 

    In addition to better understanding how CBD affects people, the FDA is researching how CBD affects animals, and whether it is safe for animal use. Right now there are many CBD products marketing for animals, but the claims for their effects are unproven, the organization said. 

    The organization is collecting public comments online through July 16. The public input will help inform policy going forward. 

    “The FDA continues to believe the drug approval process represents the best way to help ensure that safe and effective new medicines, including any drugs derived from cannabis, are available to patients in need of appropriate medical therapy,” the organization wrote. “The Agency is committed to supporting the development of new drugs, including cannabis and cannabis-derived drugs, through the investigational new drug and drug approval process.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • CBD Use Linked To Liver Damage

    CBD Use Linked To Liver Damage

    This isn’t the first time that CBD use has been linked to liver disease.

    In recent years, CBD has been hailed as a health product by everyone from hipsters to health professionals, but a new study indicates that taking CBD could have a nasty effect on your liver, much like other drugs that affect the organ.  

    The study, published in the journal Molecules, looked at the effects of CBD on the livers of mice. The mice were given doses that aligned with the human equivalent of the maximum dose of CBD in Epidiolex, the only marijuana-based medication approved by the FDA.

    The researchers found that CBD quickly had a detrimental effect on the mice’s liver. In addition, the way that the compound affected the mice indicated that it could have dangerous interactions with other drugs. 

    “CBD exhibited clear signs of hepatotoxicity, possibly of a cholestatic nature,” study authors wrote. “The involvement of numerous pathways associated with lipid and xenobiotic metabolism raises serious concerns about potential drug interactions as well as the safety of CBD.”

    Speaking with Nutra, lead study author Igor Koturbash said that the results show that more information is needed about the safe use of CBD.

    “I don’t want to say that CBD is bad and we should ban it,” he said. “But in my opinion there is clearly not enough research.”

    This isn’t the first time that CBD use has been linked to liver disease. In fact, the FDA requires Epidiolex to carry a warning about liver issues, and patients who receive the drug have their livers monitored regularly. Even in the testing phases of the drug, there were indications of adverse liver reactions. 

    “There is a potential for liver injury,” Koturbash said. “If you look at the Epidiolex label, it clearly states a warning for liver injury; it states you have to monitor the liver enzyme levels of the patients. In the clinical trials 5% to 20% of patients developed elevated liver enzymes and some patients were withdrawn from the trials.”

    Koturbash explained that the way that CBD affects the body could also cause a host of other unintended side-effects, including in the way that other drugs are processed. 

    “CBD differentially regulated more than 50 genes, many of which were linked to oxidative stress responses, lipid metabolism pathways and drug metabolizing enzymes,” he said. “There is a potential for herb/drug interactions.”

    In fact, Koturbash has another study about drug and herb interactions with CBD that is pending publication. In the meantime, he cautioned that there is still much to be discovered about CBD. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • CBD May Help Curb Heroin Cravings

    CBD May Help Curb Heroin Cravings

    A new study examined whether CBD oil could curb heroin cravings for long-term users.  

    Cannabidiol, a compound of marijuana commonly known as CBD, is effective at reducing anxiety and cravings in people who are dependent on heroin, according to a new study that could potentially open up new means of treating opioid use disorder. 

    As part of the study, researchers gave heroin users doses of CBD in the form of Epidiolex, an FDA-approved cannabis-based medication. They received doses for three days, with follow-up doses over a two-week period.

    The study participants were long-time heroin users with an average history of 13 years of heroin use, who had not successfully stayed clean for more than a month, according to CNN. 

    Researchers found that people who received CBD had 2 to 3 times fewer cravings for heroin than people on a placebo, and also had less stress hormones. 

    Lead researcher Yasmin Hurd, director of the Addiction Institute of Mount Sinai in New York, said that reducing cravings can help people stay sober. 

    “The intense craving is what drives the drug use,” she said. “If we can have the medications that can dampen that [craving], that can greatly reduce the chance of relapse and overdose risk.”

    Hurd was careful to point out that the study participants were using a regulated medication, not traditional marijuana. “We are developing a medicine,” she said. “We are not developing… recreational cannabis.”

    Psychiatrist Julie Holland, former assistant professor of psychiatry at the New York University School of Medicine, said that the study—though small—is very important. 

    “This is an extremely significant paper. We need to utilize every possible treatment in helping people with chronic pain to find other ways to manage their symptoms and in people with opiate addiction to find relief,” she said. “CBD not only manages the anxiety and cue/craving cycle, it also diminishes the original pain and inflammation that leads to opiate use in the first place.”

    Hurd said that the study indicated that CBD could be a better alternative to current medication-assisted treatment options like methadone or buprenorphine. Those medications are opioids that can be abused, so their use is tightly regulated. CBD could offer a less restrictive form of medication-assisted treatment. 

    “It’s not addictive. No one is diverting it. It doesn’t get you high, but it can reduce craving and anxiety,” Hurd said. “This can really help save lives.”

    Although some states allow medical marijuana as a treatment for opioid use disorder, there has been controversy over whether cannabis is helpful for people with opioid addiction.

    In March, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora Volkow said that there is no evidence that cannabis can help treat opioid addiction. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • NYC Cracks Down On CBD Edibles

    NYC Cracks Down On CBD Edibles

    Some NYC restaurants that sell CBD-infused foods are having their products “embargoed” by the state’s Department of Health.

    Despite the fact that New York State is moving forward with plans to legalize cannabis, officials in New York City are cracking down on restaurants selling food products laced with cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD. 

    C.J. Holm, the owner of Fat Cat Kitchen in the East Village, recently told The New York Times that health department officials showed up at the restaurant asking questions about products that contained CBD. Fat Cat Kitchen sold brownies, cookies and honey infused with CBD, a non-psychoactive compound in cannabis which many people believe has health benefits.

    The inspectors put the CBD-infused food, worth about $1,000, in a bag labeled “Embargoed,” according to Eater. They left the product with Holm, but couldn’t explain to her why she was not able to sell it. 

    “They couldn’t even intelligently explain to me exactly what the problem was when I spoke to them on the phone,” Holm said. 

    Similar events took place at at least five restaurants around the city. 

    CBD falls into murky legal territory. Although it is legal to buy and sell, it isn’t an approved food additive, the Department of Health said. 

    “Restaurants in New York City are not permitted to add anything to food or drink that is not approved as safe to eat,” a New York City Department of Health spokesperson told The Atlantic. “Until cannabidiol… is deemed safe as a food additive, the department is ordering restaurants not to offer products containing CBD.”

    Holm said that inspectors from the Department of Health have been to Fat Cat Kitchen twice before and never paid much attention to the CBD-infused product, which Holm began selling two months ago. She said that a ban on selling CBD edibles could have a big impact on her business’s bottom line. 

    “My CBD stuff is absolutely the No. 1-selling revenue source in the store.”

    Holm was frustrated by the lack of transparency about the policy. 

    “It just seemed so random and arbitrary to me. And it was really difficult getting answers as to what the exact issue is,” she said. “Now, just out of the blue, they’re just going to randomly embargo restaurants’ products? I just don’t feel like it was done properly.”

    The controversy over CBD edibles is gaining attention in other cities around the country, with Departments of Health arguing that food and drinks containing CBD need to be labeled and regulated.

    “The packaging and labeling requirements aren’t there yet in states that don’t have a cannabis regime,” said California lawyer Griffen Thorne. “If you go buy a CBD beverage and it’s not specially packaged—it just looks like another coffee or whatever—someone might take a sip who doesn’t intend to.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Colorado Cannabis Bill Aims To Ease Restrictions For Parents

    Colorado Cannabis Bill Aims To Ease Restrictions For Parents

    Parens of children who depend on cannabis-based medications for epilepsy and other medical conditions are championing the new bill. 

    A Colorado bill aims to make it easier for parents of children enrolled in the state’s medical marijuana program to get the cannabis-based medications that their children need. 

    According to current state law, children in the medical marijuana program — who are often severely ill — can have only one primary medical marijuana caregiver who is permitted to pick up his or her cannabis medications, according to Westword.com.

    Having to choose just one parent who has this permission can be stressful for families like that of Christine and Matthew Cerrato, whose four-year-old son Ethan uses cannabis to treat epilepsy and other medical conditions. 

    Because their son in so young and medically fragile, the Cerratos need to travel 80 miles to secure his medication, which is not sold locally. This is complicated by the fact that Ethan is often in the hospital: He was there 11 times just last year. 

    “For the first year, I was the caregiver. But when we’d be at the hospital, I couldn’t just leave this small child, who is sick yet also very cognitively aware, with strangers. But on the other side, what else can I do, let him lapse in treatment? There is this really bizarre gap here,” said Christine. Matthew is Ethan’s primary medical marijuana caregiver, so only he can go to the dispensary. 

    “We’ve got other kids and have to take care of groceries and meals. Matt has the availability to go [to the dispensary], but if he’s sick or occupied, he still needs to go, even though I’m totally healthy and able-bodied to do this myself,” Christine said. She pointed out that although their family can manage, other parents find the situation even more complicated to navigate. 

    “But we’re still lucky: We’re part of this gap that is married, in the same home, and Matt’s not traveling for work. We’re able to manage it, but I’ve had friends in the cannabis community go through ugly divorces… . Whatever the parental situation might be, it just doesn’t make sense,” she said. 

    When Christine posted her frustrations on Facebook one night, State Representative Matt Gray answered. After learning more about the issue he introduced the bill to allow both parents to be medical marijuana caregivers. The measure will be considered this week, but Gray says he doesn’t anticipate any opposition. 

    “This is a common-sense idea. The idea that one parent can give their kid medicine and the other can’t is kind of ridiculous,” he said. 

    Christine hopes the strange law changes soon. 

    “We’re all busy. Both of us being able to make Ethan’s purchases just makes things run more smoothly,” she said. 

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • How CBD May Complicate Glaucoma Treatment

    How CBD May Complicate Glaucoma Treatment

    A new study examined some of the ways that CBD in cannabis may work against lowering eye pressure in patients with glaucoma. 

    For decades it has been accepted that marijuana can be used to treat glaucoma, an eye condition that can lead to blindness.

    However, new research shows that while THC can help treat glaucoma, another ingredient in cannabis, CBD, has the opposite effect and can undermine the efficiency of THC. 

    Glaucoma is damage to the optic nerve that is caused by higher than normal pressure in the eye. For years, scientists have known that THC can help lower this pressure. However, a study released this month in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science found that CBD can counteract that. 

    “It has been known for nearly 50 years that cannabis and the psychoactive constituent [THC] reduce intraocular pressure,” study authors wrote. Previous study have suggested that CBD has no effect on eye pressure, but this study found different results. “Far from inactive, CBD was found to have two opposing effects on ocular pressure, one of which involved antagonism of tonic signaling. CBD prevents THC from lowering ocular pressure.”

    Lead researcher Alex Straiker, of Indiana University’s Bloomington College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, said that the results show the need for more research, and caution when using marijuana or cannabis products to treat individuals from glaucoma or other conditions. 

    “This study raises important questions about the relationship between the primary ingredients in cannabis and their effect on the eye,” he told Science Daily. “It also suggests the need to understand more about the potential undesirable side effects of CBD, especially due to its use in children.”

    Straiker said that future research should examine how specifically the compounds in marijuana affect the brain. 

    “There were studies over 45 years ago that found evidence that THC lowers pressure inside the eye, but no one’s ever identified the specific neuroreceptors involved in the process until this study,” he said. “These results could have important implications for future research on the use of cannabis as a therapy for intraocular pressure.”

    Researchers also found that THC and CBD affected eye pressure differently in male and female rats. Males who received THC had a much larger drop in their eye pressure, suggesting that there are sex differences in how the compound acts on the brain. 

    “This difference between males and females — and the fact that CBD seems to worsen eye pressure, the primary risk factor for glaucoma — are both important aspects of this study,” said Straiker. “It’s also notable that CBD appears to actively oppose the beneficial effects of THC.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Walmart Canada Considers Selling Marijuana Products

    Walmart Canada Considers Selling Marijuana Products

    The mega chain is reportedly investigating the viability of carrying CBD products in their stores. 

    As a growing list of major companies either embrace or consider the option to include cannabidiol (CBD)-based products in their retail offerings, a representative from Walmart Inc. in Canada told the Vancouver Sun that the mega-chain has conducted research into the viability of carrying CBD products on store shelves.

    Diane Medeiros, a spokesperson for Walmart Canada, said that while the company does not have plans to carry CBD products at this time, it “has done some preliminary fact-finding on this issue.”

    The timing of their investigation coincides with the legalization of marijuana at the federal level throughout Canada on October 17, 2018.

    In an email exchange with the Sun, Medeiros said that the review of CBD-based products—goods that contain the active but non-psychoactive compound cannabidiol—is standard operating procedure, something they carry out for “any new industry.”

    As High Times noted, the investigation is also good business practice, as Canadians are expected to drop $1 billion on marijuana in the first three months after legalization. Response to the company’s announcement also proved positive for Walmart, whose shares rose nearly 3% in afternoon trading that day.

    And while Walmart is apparently not ready to offer CBD-based product to its customers, other brands, both global and regional, have already announced their intent to cater to the new market.

    In Canada, the drugstore chain Shoppers Drug Mart was approved as a licensed medical marijuana producer, which will allow them to dispense cannabis to their customers, while the Montreal-based Molson Coors Canada has entered into a joint venture with The Hydropothecary Corporation to produce non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused beverages. 

    The Coca-Cola Company, too, has reported making inroads towards CBD-based products with a beverage produced in conjunction with Aurora Cannabis, while Estee Lauder has added Hello, Calm—a face mask infused with sativa—to its line of cosmetic products.

    Several U.S. breweries like Lagunitas and Coalition Brewing have already begun selling CBD-infused beer products, and the vegan chain By Chloe offers CBD-based products in its nationwide locations.

    And, as the Vancouver Sun noted, companies that have refused to expand its offerings to CBD product may experience a setback: PepsiCo’s declaration to not sell CBD-infused goods resulted in a decline in its market share.

    Cowen & Co. analyst Vivien Azer underscored the retail industry’s growing focus on CBD-based products in a research note that stated, “Health and wellness consumers are beginning to find value and use cases from CBD-based oil extracts, tinctures, topicals and capsules to improve everyday life. We expect to see CBD used as a functional ingredient in non-alcoholic beverages.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • Feds Reschedule CBD Drugs But There's A Catch

    Feds Reschedule CBD Drugs But There's A Catch

    The rescheduling does not apply to all CBD drugs.

    Following the approval of CBD-based epilepsy drug Epidolex by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US federal government has decided that, going forward, it will reschedule all CBD medications that the FDA approves.

    As of Friday, the rescheduling order has been published to the official register. While CBD medications becoming legalized is good news for advocates, the excitement was somewhat dampened by just how narrow the order is.

    “Specifically, this order places FDA-approved drugs that contain CBD derived from cannabis and no more than 0.1% tetrahydrocannabinols in schedule V,” reads the order.

    While this may not read like a big deal, the problem is that the FDA approval process is costly and lengthy, greatly limiting who can actually bring CBD products to market. So far, only Epidolex, made by GW Pharmaceuticals in the United Kingdom, has approval.

    “What this does not do is legalize or change the status of CBD oil products,” said a DEA spokesperson. “As of right now, any other CBD product other than Epidiolex remains a Schedule I controlled substance, so it’s still illegal under federal law.”

    The DEA takes this tough stance on CBD despite the fact that it carries many medicinal benefits while not providing any of the trademark “high” that marijuana does. Epidolex was deemed by the FDA to be safe enough to be used as treatment for debilitating epilepsy for children as young as or younger than one year old.

    Advocates argue that such strict criteria for CBD products means that any medicine, no matter how popular or effective, cannot qualify for FDA approval if it has any trace of THC.

    “We anticipated that Epidiolex will be the first of many potential FDA-approved medicines based on the cannabis plant. These are welcome alternatives,” said Paul Armentano, the Deputy Director of NORML. “But these products should not be regulated in such a manner that patients no longer have ready access to herbal cannabis — a product that humans have used safely and effectively as a medicine for thousands of years and is approved today by statute in 31 states.”

    View the original article at thefix.com

  • CBD Oil Quickly Becoming Popular Opioid Alternative

    CBD Oil Quickly Becoming Popular Opioid Alternative

    One expert says CBD oil sales are growing nationally, particularly in states that allow medical marijuana but not recreational.

    When it comes to pain management, there may be a safer alternative to prescription pain medication: CBD oil, also known as cannabidiol.

    In Georgia, according to WSB-TV Atlanta, the hemp-derived CBD product is legal because it only contains trace amounts of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.

    CBD oil is sold at Little Five Points Pharmacy in northeast Atlanta, and pharmacist Ira Katz tells WSB-TV that it has been effective for some of his patients. 

    “We know that this can reduce pain,” he said. “I have several patients that we’ve been putting this on, recommending this to them, and it’s great. It helps. It makes a big difference.”

    The oil does not give users a high. “People are turning to cannabidiol as an alternative when they can’t get low THC oil,” Anthony LaBorde, store operator for Discount Nutrition in Midtown Atlanta and Acworth, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We get people coming in here who say, ‘Oh my gosh, this is marijuana, I can’t believe you sell this.’ There’s complete confusion.”

    Studies have found that CBD oil is effective for treating neuropathic pain, arthritis pain, anxiety, sleep disorders and depression.

    “I’ve had some patients that have been able to get off some of those pain medications, which they hated taking,” Katz told WSB-TV. “It has no addictive properties and far less side effects than do a lot of the prescription pain medications.”

    According to Bethany Gomez, research director for the Chicago-based Brightfield Group, sales of CBD are growing across the nation, particularly in states like Georgia that have some form of a medical marijuana program, but do not allow cannabis for adult use. In 2016, the market for the product was $174 million, compared to $590 million this year. 

    “CBD is very widely used by people who would not come anywhere near cannabis, who don’t want anything to do with the mind-altering effects of marijuana but want treatment for chronic pain, anxiety and women’s health conditions,” Gomez told the Journal-Constitution.

    Despite the apparent benefits, CBD oil still concerns some local law enforcement officials. Wesley Nunn, president of the Georgia Narcotics Officers Association and commander of the Ocmulgee Drug Task Force, fears shops may be disguising THC oil as CBD oil, the difference lying in the potency of the product. 

    “You don’t know what’s in it. That’s the problem,” Nunn told the Journal-Constitution. “If it’s helping with seizures, appetite disorders and PTSD, let’s get it regulated… There’s so much money being pushed behind the marijuana trade, and people are trying to get on board.”

    View the original article at thefix.com