Have you noticed that an open discussion about joint pain often leads to the topic of CBD oil?  Even with the media and your next-door neighbor, work colleagues, and cousin spouting off their feel-good results, not everyone is willing to board the bandwagon. A pregnant pause of hesitation before an answer can lead us to a feeling of uncertainty and questions.

Are hemp and marijuana the same?

Taxonomically, hemp and marijuana are the same plants.  They both have the same distinctive leaves and smell similarly.  Tetrahydrocannabinol is a psychoactive substance found in cannabis; however, hemp plants contain only 0.3 percent (dry weight).  A person cannot become high on hemp.

Are farmers growing hemp in NC? 

The conversation began in 2014 among the NC General Assembly, who created a Farm Bill to establish an “Industrial Hemp Pilot program” for farmers. Laws soon after defined who could participate; yet, by June of 2019, the rules promoted statewide farming.  In assessing the broad appeal of the crop, textiles and industrial processes would benefit from the strong and durable fiber used to make rope, canvas and paper, clothing, fabric, and other forms of textiles.  While cotton is a softer fabric, hemp is water-absorbent, which allows the fiber to be dyed and retain its color better than any other material.

Other purposes:

• Hemp seeds are a source of grains producing essential amino acids, and beneficial to the food industry.
• The oil also can create ink and be an additive to detergents.

Our crops now use 95% of the flowers for the extraction of oil.

Is using CBD oil safe?

Based on the low percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol, there is no current evidence to support abuse or a dependency potential from the use of pure CBD. Similar to any new supplement or medication, it is wise to consider the list of possibilities of adverse reactions. Although CBD is generally well-tolerated and listed as “safe,” it is sold as a supplement, which is not FDA regulated for purity or safety.  The side effects include diarrhea, change in appetite, fatigue, and irritability.  Additionally, CBD is known to:

• raise your blood levels of certain medications.
• increase the regulatory lab values of your blood if using coumadin.

What are the benefits?

Beyond the scientific studies, family members, friends, work colleagues, and neighbors are touting the positive benefits in reducing pain. Whether applied as a topical or consumed as a tincture or in pill form, CBD appears magical.  Scientifically, CBD interacts with receptors in your brain and immune system to prevent the body from absorbing a compound, called anandamide, which regulates the amount of pain a person feels. By reducing inflammation levels, Cannabidiol can help those who experience insomnia, specific immune-system responses, and issues related to the joints.  In test subjects with arthritis, for example, researchers provided a topical CBD gel across four days.  The findings noted a significant drop in the signs of pain, including inflammation.

Surprising Results

Two rare and severe epileptic syndromes, Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut, manifest during early childhood and impact the lives of approximately 450,000 children and three million adults. Challenging to diagnose and treat, only 44% of all patients were positively affected by medication therapy until the arrival of CBD.  Celebrations abounded for patients who saw either a reduction in the number of seizures or stopped seizing altogether. 

In other situations, CBD 

• reduced malignant tumors, and chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.
• prevented the spread of brain, breast, colon, lung, and prostate cancer.
• eased difficult types of inflammation and chronic pain, especially of the sciatic nerve and the somatosensory nervous system.
• reduced the incidence of diabetes by 56%.
• changed sleep qualify of those with rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson’s, anxiety, and insomnia.
• decreased muscle spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients resistant to medication.
• prevented the cognitive decline of Alzheimer’s disease.
• lowered health conditions linked to stroke, heart attack, and high blood pressure.
• modified the brain’s circuits associated with drug dependency behaviors.
• helped mental disorders, like schizophrenia, by reducing psychotic symptoms.

How to Buy Quality CBD

Read the label thoroughly and buy products only manufactured in the United States.  If the product offers “hemp seed oil,” it may be beneficial only as a moisturizer, and will not contain CBD.  A reliable company also will offer the whole spectrum, which uses the entire plant.

If you plan to use products containing CBD, talk to your doctor first.