DEC/JAN 2018
37
CANNABIS COLUMN|
CBD-CANNABIDIOL
By Martin James
In the last issue, I explained a few of the different cannabinoids and other compounds
found in cannabis. While THC may be the most familiar cannabinoid, CBD is rapidly be-
coming a favorite among patients for its widespread medicinal effects. CBD is also non-
psychoactive, which makes it even more attractive for those that don’t like the THC “high”
or find it uncomfortable. So what can CBD do? Here are some of the most understood
uses and benefits of CBD:
Pain Relief- If you are an adult, especially one that actively participates in outdoor sports,
you no doubt deal with muscle pain and inflammation. While the most common medication
is probably a handful of ibuprofen, CBD can be another effective treatment. A 2012 study
found that CBD significantly suppressed inflammatory and neuropathic pain in rodents.
1) For pain relief, the combination of CBD and THC (often in a 1:1 ratio) is con-
sidered to be the most effective; THC activates mainly CB1 and CB2 receptors
while CBD activates other receptors.
2) Antipsychotic- While CBD is recognized as the non-psychoactive cannabinoid,
it actually can go so far as to inhibit the psychotic effects of other cannabinoids.
This means that consuming some CBD in your cannabis can limit the intense eu-
phoria that you may find uncomfortable. This is because CBD inhibits the FAAH
enzyme, a compound that activates the CB1 receptor, reducing the psychoactive
effects of THC (2). While many people complain that they feel paranoid or anx-
ious with high THC cannabis, CBD actually has an opposite, calming effect.
3) Anti-anxiety- One of the fastest growing uses for CBD is to treat anxiety. We
all get anxious, whether it is for a big race, an upcoming trip, or just a big day
at work. While there are many medications out there to treat this, CBD offers a
more natural treatment without the laundry list of side effects. In 2011, a study
used 24 participants to simulate a public speaking test. They were given either
CBD or a placebo and researchers found that the CBD pretreatment greatly
reduced the anxiety and fear associated with public speaking (3).
4) Fighting Cancer- While this may sound like a longshot to cannabis skeptics,
several scientific reports have found CBD to inhibit cancer cell migration and tu-
mor growth. A 2006 study specifically found that CBD blocks CPR55 signaling,
reducing cancer cell proliferation (4).
5) Others- The effects of CBD are still being heavily researched and studied,
but there are a number of other health benefits that have been attributed to this
cannabinoid. It has been shown to be antidepressant, anti-nausea, anti-epileptic
(inhibiting seizures), and reducing diabetes.
One of the most promising things about CBD as a treatment is the non-psycho-
active component. Many doctors and patients alike are turned off from cannabis
because of the stigmatism and culture associated with THC. Finding products
that are low in THC but high in CBD h as allowed new patients to appreciate the
positive effects of cannabis without the euphoria. This has also sparked conver-
sation about the legal status of cannabis, encouraging many states to legalize
high CBD products for medical use. Much of this CBD comes from industrial
hemp which is naturally extremely low in THC. While CBD derived from canna-
bis is often considered to be more effective and efficient, these industrial hemp
products are rapidly becoming available on the internet and in stores all over the
country.
References:
1. Xiong, W, et al. “Cannabinoids Suppress Inflammatory and Neuropathic
Pain by Targeting α3 Glycine Receptors.” The Journal of Experimental Medi-
cine., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 4 June 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pubmed/22585736.
2. Costa, Barbara, et al. “Vanilloid TRPV1 Receptor Mediates the Antihyperalge-
sic Effect of the Nonpsychoactive Cannabinoid, Cannabidiol, in a Rat Model of
Acute Inflammation.” British Journal of Pharmacology, U.S. National Library of
Medicine, Sept. 2004, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1575333/.
3. Bergamaschi, Mateus M, et al. “Cannabidiol Reduces the Anxiety Induced by
Simulated Public Speaking in Treatment-Naïve Social Phobia Patients.” Neuro-
psychopharmacology, Nature Publishing Group, May 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pmc/articles/PMC3079847/.
4. Ligresti, A, et al. “Antitumor Activity of Plant Cannabinoids with Emphasis on
the Effect of Cannabidiol on Human Breast Carcinoma.” The Journal of Pharma-
cology and Experimental Therapeutics., U.S. National Library of Medicine, Sept.
2006, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16728591/.
CBD can be consumed in many different forms; one of the newest ways is with a vape
pen. Here are two different CBD vape pens, a cartridge with reusable battery from
OpenVape and a disposable vape pen from Quill.