Tag: CBD oil

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 In the clinical trials 5% to 20% of patients developed elevated liver enzymes and some patients were withdrawn from the trials.”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

25 June 2019
Some Christians Are Rethinking Their Views On CBD

“I had the same concerns as a lot of Christians. I did not want to be a part of anything that promoted [marijuana use]. But then I saw the science and research, so I switched gears.”

The Christian religion can deter many from accepting cannabidiol (CBD) as having medical benefits because it is associated with marijuana—though it has little to do with the psychoactive use of this “drug.”

An in-depth feature published on Christianity Today challenges Christians’ perception of the medical properties provided by CBD for a variety of ailments—including epilepsy and chronic pain.

“Hemp-based CBD oil is not the same as marijuana. You get the anti-inflammatory [effects], the pain relief without the high. For some people, it really is and has been a lifesaver,” said Troy Spurrill, a chiropractor specializing in functional neurology.

Through his clinic Synapse, based in Eagan, Minnesota, Spurrill sees patients from 48 states and 12 countries. In his practice, he has observed the results of more than 100 patients who have taken hemp CBD oil and reported not “one problem with it.” Spurrill says CBD had the most significant impact in treating insomnia, pain, anxiety and seizures.

One patient of his underwent multiple surgeries, resulting in chronic pain and the need for opioid painkillers. He became dependent on the drugs and suicidal. Spurrill reported that CBD was able to help the patient break free of his opioid dependency and improve his quality of life. “He got off the opiates and is alive and doing well today,” Spurrill told Christianity Today. “It managed the pain. It ended up being a big tool for me to help him.”

As a church-going Christian, Spurrill admitted that he was at first reluctant to consider CBD as a legitimate treatment. “I was not for it in the beginning. I had the same concerns as a lot of Christians. I did not want to be a part of anything that promoted [marijuana use]. But then I saw the science and research, so I switched gears,” he said.

A number of states have approved the use of CBD only—stopping short of establishing a medical marijuana program—in the name of helping young children suffering debilitating seizures.

Mandy Van Schyndel, a mother from Wisconsin, shared her experience searching for ways to help her young daughter Emma, who was diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS), a severe form of epilepsy.

At her worst, Emma would suffer 12 cluster seizures daily. At the beginning of her life, she lived in hospice care and was not expected to survive.

The family tried “many different concoctions of medications” including steroid injections and a ketogenic diet—but none of it worked. They grew desperate for some relief. “We went from trying to find seizure freedom to just trying to find any kind of reduction—to increase her quality of life,” said Van Schyndel.

Like Troy Spurrill, Van Schyndel, who is Christian, was hesitant to bring up CBD with Emma’s neurologist, but she was surprised by his response. “I said [to him], ‘I know this is a taboo subject.’ He said, ‘It’s not taboo. There’s really something to it.’ That was a nice reassurance to hear.”

After procuring a high quality CBD oil and applying two drops twice daily under Emma’s tongue, they saw a “dramatic decrease” in her seizures—from 12 per day to zero in six months.

“It felt like the fog was lifted. My child was awake under there. Now she’s laughing and smiling every single day!” said Van Schyndel.

“She has more purposeful movement. She’s interacting with her peers. She’s playing with toys spontaneously. None of these things were happening before CBD oil. You can’t tell me that’s all a coincidence,” she added.

“It’s miraculous. It baffles me that that minute amount can combat one of the most severe forms of epilepsy.”

View the original article at thefix.com

11 June 2019
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

21 December 2018
"Weed The People" Doc Follows Kids Treating Cancer With Marijuana

More than half of Americans now support legalizing marijuana. But for some kids, it’s a life-changing treatment.

While the federal government sits on the fence regarding marijuana, more than half of Americans support legalizing it. But for the families featured in Weed the People, marijuana is medicine for their children.

The documentary follows five kids whose parents have chosen to treat their child’s cancer with cannabis oil, either as a supplement alongside other treatments or as an entirely new avenue of treatment after others have failed.

Despite their non-recreational use of marijuana, the families have to overcome legal and regulatory obstacles to get the medicine they believe their children need.

Weed the People is produced by former talk show host Ricki Lake, who was introduced to cannabidiol (CBD) when her late ex-husband was seeking relief for his chronic pain and ADHD. CBD does not induce the high associated with THC, but does deliver the therapeutic and medicinal effects of cannabis.

“I want to get people seeing it as medicine, seeing what it was able to do for these children, and fight for this medicine to be available to everyone who needs it,” Lake said. “It’s a human rights issue.”

Some of the families in the documentary saw their children’s tumors shrink, or even disappear, when using CBD—even if they were using CBD in place of other treatments, such as chemotherapy, entirely.

“You can’t say the ‘cure’ word, but how else do you explain it?” questioned Lake.

However, some professionals warn against treating cancers with CBD alone and expecting miraculous results. “Relying on marijuana alone as treatment while avoiding or delaying conventional medical care for cancer may have serious health consequences,” cautioned the American Cancer Society (ACS).

So far, the ACS says, CBD and other such compounds in marijuana have been found to slow the growth of or destroy tumor cells in test animals or tissue samples in dishes, but not humans.

However, some pediatric cancer treatment providers do advocate for allowing the use of marijuana compounds in treatment, especially in the case of pain relief or end-of-life care.

Despite growing support for legalization coming from both health experts and everyday Americans, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug, which is defined as having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”

However, one CBD-based drug, Epidolex, has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—which is a substantial, if narrow, first step towards legalization.

View the original article at thefix.com

30 October 2018
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

11 September 2018
Parents Reunited With Son After Losing Custody For Treating Epilepsy With Marijuana

The teenager must undergo monthly drug tests and is not allowed to use the smokeable marijuana that helped his ailments.

After treating their chronically ill son’s debilitating seizures with smokeable marijuana, Matthew and Suzeanna Brill lost custody of 15-year-old David for more than a month and faced criminal charges as well as a possible prison sentence.

But as High Times reported, the Georgia couple has been reunited with their son with help from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The organization appealed to the Twiggs County Juvenile Court in support of the family and their son’s health issues; in response, the court issued a 12-month protective order, which allows the family to stay together, and may ultimately lead to dismissal of the criminal charges against the Brills.

David Brill suffers from constant and severe epileptic seizures that, according to the Brills, did not respond to the marijuana extract cannabidiol (CBD) oil, which has been suggested by some clinical trials as an effective treatment for such a condition.

Concerned for their son’s health, the Brills gave him smokeable marijuana—possession of which is considered a misdemeanor in the state of Georgia—which, they claimed, allowed him to live without seizures for nearly three months.

The Brills said that they never forced David to smoke marijuana, and informed their doctors, a therapist and the police about their decision.

A visit from the police led to David’s removal from his family’s home by Georgia’s Division of Family and Children’s Services (DFCS) for more than 30 days, during which his seizures returned, while the Brills spent six days in jail on reckless conduct charges. Upon their release, the Brills launched a GoFundMe campaign to offset the cost of a lawyer to advocate for David’s return and their pending charges.

But in late June 2018, the Georgia branch of the ACLU stepped in to file an amicus brief to reunite David with his parents, which argued that the Brills’ use of marijuana was done only to provide relief for their son and in a manner supported, albeit indirectly, by the Georgia Legislature, which allows the possession and use of 20 fluid ounces of low THC oil for specific medical conditions, including seizure disorders.

In response to the ACLU’s efforts, the Twiggs County Juvenile Court issued a 12-month protective order, which reunited David with his parents on condition that the family checks in twice a month with the DFCS and provides them with his medical records.

David must also undergo monthly drug tests, but will be allowed to continue to take cannabidiol along with other epilepsy medication to treat his seizures.

If David does not test positive for THC and his parents cooperate with the DFCS, the juvenile court can terminate the protective order and dismiss the charges against Matthew and Suzeanna Brill. A review is scheduled for December 13, 2018.

View the original article at thefix.com

6 July 2018