CBD, which is more formally known as cannabidiol, is a substance that is said by some sources to be a promising new medical treatment for a host of illnesses. However, the trouble with this is that there are many claims about CBD that raise eyebrows in the field of medical science because these claims seem so fantastic and unbelievable.
If you would like to know more about these myths about CBD’s effectiveness and the science that disproves them, read on.
Myth #1 CBD Is Not Effective At Treating Symptoms of Any Illness
The major problem facing the CBD industry right now is actually a Public Relations image problem. It is true that there are many CBD branded products that are actually scams because the manufacturers do not put the correct amount of CBD (if any) in the product container. This means consumers are at risk of paying top dollar for products that do not work because there is little to zero CBD in such products.
However, there are still CBD products that are the real deal as far as health effects are concerned. For example, there is the US FDA-approved Epidiolex medicine whose key ingredient is CBD. Epidiolex is now sanctioned by the government agency to be used by the public to treat two rare forms of childhood epilepsy known formally as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. So there may be other CBD-based products that are currently in use or being developed that may eventually be permitted by the US FDA for use by the public as well.
Myth #2 CBD Is Not a Safe Substance for People to Use
There is now research showing that CBD is a safe substance to take – but that’s no reason to go overboard with your CBD consumption. As with all substances, too much of anything can become unpleasant for you, especially since CBD does have side effects such as nausea. So if you are planning to increase your CBD dosage significantly, it is always a good idea to report this to your doctor, just so your symptoms can be managed well.
It is possible too that some people can be allergic to CBD so it is wise to stick to a low dosage at the very start and see if you have any reaction to it. If you are on some medication already, ask your doctor if it is a good idea to remove the medication so that you won’t get a drug reaction when you take CBD supplements.
You should also take heed that some “CBD products” actually contain some contaminants (with some of these contaminants actually classified as poisonous substances). Virginia Commonwealth University forensic toxicologists studied nine e-liquids that were being marketed as containing “100% all-natural CBD extracts”. Their study revealed the e-liquids contained the following substances:
- “Spice”, a synthetic cannabinoid that can trigger anxiety and psychosis aside from tachycardia and possibly cause the death of the person taking it.
- Dexthromorphan (or DMX) which is a component of over-the-counter cough medicine. Its side effect is an addiction to the substance.
So that’s one of the biggest risks when you try to buy CBD products – the manufacturer might be lying about what’s really in their products.
There are some other areas about CBD usage that should be studied too, as far as the US FDA is concerned, before it can be said with 100% certainty that all CBD usage is safe. These are:
- Giving animals such as companion animals or pets regular dosage of CBD products
- Giving animals raised for meat and dairy by-products (such as eggs and milk) regular dosage of CBD products, because of the possible subsequent transfer of CBD from the parent animals to their young or from the animals to humans who consume their meat and by-products
- Giving CBD dosage to children, the elderly, adolescents, and women who are either pregnant or lactating at the time of dosage.
Myth #3 The Claims About CBD Have No Scientific Basis
Some claims about CBD have no scientific evidence to support them. This is why the US FDA warned the people behind the website Curaleaf Inc. about their “unsubstantiated claims” regarding their CBD products because Curaleaf said their products could address a host of illnesses and conditions such as opioid withdrawal, cancer, depression, and even pet anxiety. (Curaleaf eliminated some of their CBD products as a result).
However, there are some claims that do have scientific evidence to back them up. The anti-epilepsy CBD product Epidiolex now has the support of the US FDA because there was strong evidence that Epidiolex can relieve child epileptics of their seizures. If there were no scientific evidence at all, then why would the US Department of Veterans Affairs support a small study on using CBD to treat war veterans who developed PTSD (also known as post-traumatic stress disorder)? This study also matched the CBD use with psychotherapy. Surely this agency of the US government would not risk its reputation if there were no convincing evidence that CBD may be able to help PTSD victims survive. There are reportedly some major clinical trials being conducted as well.
Another study, known as a “chart review”, conducted on 72 people who had psychiatric disorders revealed that these patients had a significant reduction in anxiety after being treated with CBD. This review was published in The Permanente Journal.
What you have to do is find news articles about CBD products that have been deemed safe for use by the public so that you can source your CBD from reputable sources.
Myth #4 CBD Can Cure Cancer
Many people are now attracted to CBD because some websites claim that CBD can “cure” cancer. However, there is no clinical evidence about CBD’s role in curing cancer, as of now, meaning there is no proof of this yet. There are some anecdotal testimonies from supposed cancer survivors, but this is weak proof that needs to be substantiated by large clinical studies first before it can be accepted.
It seems cancer patients are the ones who are most eager to hear about alternative forms of cancer treatments so websites that claim CBD is a cure for cancer are playing with the sentiments of these cancer patients. One fear by medical researchers is that the unsubstantiated claim that CBD can cure cancer may lead these cancer patients to forego more conventional treatments which may cause some of them to die an early death.
Social media seems to play a major role in the dissemination of the claim that CBD can cure cancer. The reputable cancer treatment organizations are being drowned out by fake news on social media. This can be quite dangerous for cancer victims who might be desperate enough to believe these claims.
Myth #5 CBD Works The Same Way For Everyone
This myth is also untrue considering the evidence for CBD’s purported health benefits is mostly anecdotal lately. First of all, it is important to note that CBD effects on the human body are dependent on how much you will be taking. One source states that at least 10mg to 20 mg of CBD has to be taken by a person for every kilogram of body weight. Thus, if you are an adult weighing 70 kilograms, you would have to consume from 700 to 1400 mg of CBD. If you weigh less or more than 70 kilograms, you would need to compute for your own body weight. That alone will tell you that some people consume more CBD than others to get the same effects on the body.
Second, some people are more sensitive to CBD intake than others. This may mean that these people will get the desired effects even if they take the bare minimum while others may have to literally max out the limits to be able to get the same effects. But most people will not max out the limits of consumption because CBD is quite expensive so they will tend to ration it according to their budget.
Third, the degree of discomfort and pain of each person will often dictate how much of the CBD product they will medicate it with. Patients who have a lot of pain will probably take more than the minimum daily requirement of 20-50 mg to address their symptoms. If the patient experiences side effects, the doctor may recommend lowering the dosage or even stop taking any more CBD. If you are experiencing side effects, it may mean that you are just not meant to take CBD for your health problems so you should seek out other forms of therapy instead, for your own well-being.
As you can see, you need to take a lot of CBD to get the right health effects.
Myth #6 CBD Has Zero Side Effects On People Because It Comes From Hemp Plants
Again, another myth that needs facts to disprove. The truth is, that CBD does produce side effects on people even though most consumer CBD products are supposed to be sourced from hemp plants. CBD is actually present in the Cannabis Sativa plant family in both hemp plants and in marijuana plants. However, hemp plants are supposed to be a better source of CBD because hemp plants contain less THC – it is important to avoid THC because it produces more of the psychoactive effects in people. CBD has some psychoactive effects but not enough to make it an illegal substance to take. For that reason, some may assume that CBD is legal because it is “safe”.
Here are some side effects of CBD on human patients:
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Possible drug reactions with some medications and with grapefruit
- Possible liver injury which may put the life of the patient in peril
- Possible infertility of males
- Feeling drowsy
- Gastrointestinal reactions including diarrhea and loss of appetite
- Mood changes including irritation and agitation
There may be other undocumented side effects of CBD on people, especially since there is a lack of accurate reporting about these in the media. You should be most concerned about the safety and purity of your CBD products since these may influence whether you develop “side effects” or not. And what you might think are CBD side effects might actually be a reaction to a contaminant in the product itself. There is also the problem of the product being mislabeled which means the manufacturer might not be accurately measuring the amount of CBD extract in the product. This too can give undesirable results when you take in the product.
In addition, many doctors are not certain at the moment how to use or prescribe CBD because the current health trend is still new and there is much-unexplored territory when it comes to CBD use. Take note that some manufacturers market their CBD products as “dietary supplements” or “health food supplements” rather than as medicine so you should use these products as supplements rather than as “cures” for your symptoms. Your own doctor may hesitate to recommend that you rely on CBD products because there are still conventional, safe therapies that may be applied in your case. A doctor can be sued and even lose their license to practice medicine, for recommending CBD products without having sufficient knowledge about its possible side effects. It is also dangerous for your doctor to recommend that you take CBD products if you are also currently taking some other herbal or dietary supplements at the same time, due to possible negative effects.
Conclusion
There are many people clamoring to know the truth about CBD and its usage as a health supplement and a possible cure for certain illnesses or diseases. This is because they may have realized that much of the information available online may not be 100% accurate and may be called “misleading”. The truth is that there is still much unknown about CBD and its effects on human health which leaves the door wide open for scam artists to take advantage of the ignorance of many consumers and health care professionals about this area of medicine. It is best to do your due diligence when researching CBD products so that you will be capable of judging whether CBD products are the right form of therapy to take for your particular illness or disease.
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