CBD Is the Snake Oil of Our Times

CBD Is the Snake Oil of Our Times

By the Numbers

CBD, or  Cannabidiol, is a derivative from cannabis or hemp plants.  With the forces at work to legalize cannabis and all it's forms, CBD has been getting promoted heavily as a cure for just about everything. And last year, 4.6 billion dollars was spent on CBD related products.  See here...

I had an encounter with CBD recently.  A topical cream was recommended by a chiropractor for knee pain issues I am experiencing.  After a jar and a weeks application, I can say I experienced no relief in pain.  If anything, it got worse.  But any one person's experience is anecdotal at best.  So what do the studies say?

A study in Canada demonstrated at best. 2.5 points out of 100, in pain mitigation with patients with severe pain.  And no clinical effects for mild to moderate pain.  See here...

I found one group that compiled 74 studies on CBD, but I cannot find the link now, of the 74 studies, 68 were testing CBD and THC, the active ingredient of marijuana.  The 6 remaining studies of just CBD, showed no evidence of pain relief.

But the jar of cream I have states prominently, "For Pain".  While it's list of ingredients include CBD, the main active ingredients is Camphor and Menthol.  Smells nice, but that's about it.

What is CBD good for?  Apparently it has only had proven efficacy for epilepsy in children.  And so far, that is it.

No other real clinical trials exist for any of the following claims.  COVID-19, migraine, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, digestive disorders, brain and mood disorders, high blood pressure, muscle spasms, nausea, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, PTSD, opioid addiction, and cancer in animals.

And no matter what Tommy Chong* claims, CBD did not cure his cancer. 

Side effects of CBD include agitation, chills, irritability, loss of appetite, nausea, throat and stomach pain, and drowsiness. CBD can increase the level of blood thinning and other medicines in your blood by competing for the liver enzymes that break down these drugs.  See Harvard Health...

Labels on CBD, and other supplements, that state "clinically tested" or "clinically proven", just means some people filled out a questionnaire.  It does not mean that the product has been subjected to a proper double blind study.

But you may never get enough CBD to have side effects, because about 70% of tested CBD products do not have what they claim in them.  Penn Medicine studied CBD products from 31 companies, and only 30% had dosages on the labels.  See here...

This is the difference between "Big Pharma", and "Big Supplements".  Pharmaceuticals have to prove efficacy of their products.  Supplements only need to allude they may do something, but cannot actually claim they do anything at all.  So I think the company that made my CBD cream needs a cease and desist order from the FDA. 

So, to quote Brian Dunning, of "Skeptoid"**, "The question is whether this is something you really want to go out of your way to do: take a prescription epilepsy drug at an unknown dose when you don't have epilepsy."

*In addition marijuana suppositories, Tommy Chong was treated with chemo and radiation.  So to claim CBD was the cure for his cancer is a bit of a stretch, but as the leading stoner of my generation, I don't think we can consider him to be a reliable source.

** Skeptoid is a podcast that has been running for over 10 years, where Brian Dunning debunks a lot of urban legends and fraudulently promoted products.