Cannabidiol, also simply CBD, is an active ingredient from the hemp plant that is said to work in a variety of ways. For example, it is said to relieve stress, calm, help with insomnia and relieve pain. Overall, it is said to increase health and well-being. There are now even cafés that sell the beneficial active ingredient with their coffee. Three drops of the special oil directly double the price of the coffee. Is this just money making? Or is there actually something to the miracle drug CBD?
Cannabidiol does not make you high
Cannabidiol is an active ingredient from the hemp plant. Much better known than CBD is THC – Tetrahydrocannabinol – which induces a state of intoxication in cannabis. According to researchers, CBD is virtually the counterpart to THC, which is neither addictive nor does it affect driving ability. According to regulations in the EU, CBD products may not contain more than 0.2 percent THC. CBD is typically extracted from the hemp plant, which naturally contains little or no THC.
That promises CBD
CBD is said to help against various ailments, which can also be heard from many celebrities who CBD oil have been using for a long time. It is said to help you fall asleep, eliminate menstrual pain, relieve stress symptoms and counteract anxiety or panic attacks. There are now many websites that advertise oil with cannabidiol as a true miracle cure. In doing so, they sometimes make advertising promises that are prohibited for food supplements, for example if they promise a healing effect for a certain disease.
Swoped from America to Germany
In 2018, CBD coffee was a new trend in New York to relax. This trend has also arrived in Germany for a while. Products with CBD, such as oils, gummies, creams and capsules, are booming. The market is growing rapidly. Sales are mainly via the internet. But there are also more and more stationary shops that offer the products.
the legal situation is still uncertain, however, as there is no sensible regulation yet. It is questionable whether it is legal to put CBD products on the market without authorization from the EU Commission. For the authorities and consumer centers, the answer is clear. It is not legal to sell the products unchecked. The manufacturers, on the other hand, are of the opinion that the use of hemp has a very long tradition and that it is not a new type of food that requires approval. These different opinions clash in court. Again and again products disappear from the offers of the dealers. Nevertheless, the offer remains large.
Municipal food inspectors are normally responsible for monitoring the market. However, due to a lack of staff, many authorities are unable to keep up with the controls.
New skin for old wine
Some providers also simply use loopholes. For example, they offer CBD flowers as smoked goods. These are particularly popular with ex-tokers who smoke the buds in a joint replacement because they no longer want the high. CBD oil is then called aroma oil, which users can drip onto their pillows or use in an aroma lamp.
No more perspective
It is becoming increasingly difficult for customers to keep track of things. The industry association of the cannabis industry also knows this. Some research has shown that the stated amounts of CBD often do not correspond to reality. Sometimes the products contain much less than they say on the label, sometimes there is much more. Some CBD oils also have significant THC levels, which would show up in a urine sample. Some dealers offer simple hemp seed oil so expensive that customers assume it is CBD OIL.
The industry association for the cannabis industry is still quite young. Analysis standards and a seal of approval for the quality of CBD products are planned to give customers more clarity.
What do CBD products do for health?
Many of the promised modes of action have not yet been scientifically proven. Many research results are not yet available, as research is not yet very advanced. There is evidence of an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect. However, there are still no major clinical studies that would prove this. On top of that, there are many other unanswered questions, such as the safety of CBD or whether CBD causes side effects. The correct dosage has also not yet been clarified. There is just as little knowledge about interactions with other substances. Many of the products offered in hemp shops contain very little CBD. This means that a therapeutic effect is questionable, say experts. In order to achieve the desired effect, higher dosages are necessary. In high doses, however, it is to be expected that there will also be side effects, which is why the higher dosed products belong in the pharmacy.
CBD – Approval as a medicinal product
CBD is approved for the treatment of two severe and very rare forms of epilepsy in children. Some parents consider the medicine to be a gentle natural product. However, children who use CBD sometimes experience severe side effects such as fever, loss of appetite, severe fatigue and diarrhea.
In animal studies, there have been promising results in treating tumors in mice with cancer. The tumors have actually shrunk. However, these initial results cannot be easily transferred to humans.
Conclusion
Many CBD users report that CBD helps them with pain or lets them sleep better again. The extent to which the miracle drug actually has this effect has not yet been sufficiently researched. Doctors like to talk about the placebo effect in this context. In any case, without side effects, the miracle drug cannot do any harm.