The Lowdown on CBD
CBD or cannabidiol is being marketed widely as a cure for anything from anxiety to arthritis. Carissa Casey takes a close look at the cannabis compound and asks whether it’s a miracle cure or over-hyped.
It can be found in just about everything these days. Teas, tinctures, bath bombs, skin creams, shampoos, gummies – the list increases by the week it seems. But, outside of a few well documented applications, hard scientific evidence on the benefits of cannabidiol or CBD in humans is thin on the ground. That doesn’t necessarily mean it has no benefits, just that the medical and scientific community move at a much slower pace than marketers.
WHAT IS CBD? CBD is one of two active ingredients found in the Marijuana plant. The first THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) has psycho-active properties – in short it’s what gives people a ‘high’. CBD, on the other hand, has absolutely no psycho-active properties. The CBD sold in Ireland comes from the Hemp plant (cannabis satvia) which is legal to grow in Ireland under license from the Department of Health.
IS CBD SAFE? The World Health Organisation has declared: “In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential…. To date, there is no evidence of public health related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.”
That said, it’s not without reported side effects, the main ones being fatigue, irritability and nausea. It is broken down by the liver, so will compete with alcohol or medications if these are also being taken by the user.
WHAT ARE ITS USES? The strongest scientific evidence to date on the effective use of CBD is in the treatment of childhood epilepsy syndromes such as Dravet syndrome. This is the syndrome suffered by Ava Twomey, whose mother Vera has been a vocal campaigner for the availability of medical cannabis in Ireland. As regards treatment for other ailments, clinical studies and trials in humans are still underway. Studies on animals have shown it has anti-inflammatory, anti-pain and antipsychotic properties.
HOW DOES IT WORK? In the 1990s, researchers discovered the endocannabinoid (ECS) system in humans. It’s not yet fully understood but appears to regulate a range of natural functions such as sleep, appetite, memory and reproduction. It exists in all humans, regardless of whether they have used CBD or any other cannabis-related substance.
The best thinking to date suggests that the ECS helps maintain a stable internal environment in the human body, otherwise known as homeostasis.
CBD, it is thought, helps the ECS work more effectively and therefore maintain homeostasis. Certain illnesses and conditions such as migraine, fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome could be caused by a poorly functioning ECS. In those cases CBD could help to boost its efficiency and thereby ease symptoms.
WHY SO LITTLE SCIENCE? It is only really in the last few years that scientists have been allowed to publish results on cannabis research. Even now, there are restrictions. Acquiring cannabis for research purposes was also problematic.
Since 1968, researchers in the US had to acquire cannabis from a single government-run facility, a situation that only changed earlier this year. These barriers meant that serious scientific study particularly on the effects of CBD in humans only really began a few years ago and the results are still not known.
ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE By far the most prevalent evidence on the use of CBD to treat a range of illnesses and conditions is anecdotal. Advocates believe it helps them deal with anxiety or depression or insomnia or a range of other debilitating issues. Available science doesn’t back up these claims, but nor does it disprove them. Many doctors admit that they have seen patients improve with the use of CBD, but few are prepared to go on the record, primarily because the scientific jury is still out.
THE LEGAL STATUS Most CBD sold in Ireland is classified as a food supplement and, as such, is regulated by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). The FSAI has, in the past, recalled certain products for containing too high an amount of THC – the psycho-active ingredient of the cannabis plant which is controlled by the Misuse of Drugs Act 1997. Producers of CBD oil must get ‘novel food’ authorisation from the EU to sell their product in Europe. (novel food is simply a food product that was not widely available in Europe prior to 1997.) As a food supplement, suppliers aren’t allowed make claims, medical or otherwise, for the product. Nor can it be prescribed by a doctor or treated as a medicine.
DOSAGES While studies show that CBD oil is safe for humans to take, how much or how often it should be taken is up for debate. Suggested dosages vary according to body weight and the condition being treated. E concentration of CBD in a product can also be difficult to assess.
The best advice is to start at a low dosage and slowly increase to see if you get the desired effect.
IRISH CBD OIL There are several CBD oil producers in Ireland, some with their own hemp farms.
Emerald Farm (emeraldfarm.ie) is run by husband and wife team Jacob and Paisley Hervey. Jacob has worked in hemp farming in California and turned to CBD to help with his own mental health struggles. His experience led him to start an Irish business, with hemp grown in Wicklow. Other suppliers in Ireland include Keadeen Mountain Farms (keadeenmountainfarms.ie) also based in Wicklow and Wild Atlantic Hemp (wildatlantichemp.com), which sources hemp from Irish farmers.
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