Media is abuzz with news of CBD products. Almost all health blogs discuss its health benefits. Scientists are studying its properties. Everyone knows what cannabidiol, or CBD, is. According to Consumer Reports, at least one-quarter of the adult population in the United States already uses it. Many more tried it at least once, most several times, and many use it on the daily.CBD is already mainstream. The question lies is how many folks agree. As Harvard Health explains, CBD is already a target for therapeutic drugs. Evidence exists abundantly of its many medicinal properties, and now Big Pharma is extracting CBD for use in mainstream medicine. As more and more folks ditch painkillers and other dangerous drugs for CBD instead, they really have very little choice. It is do or die.
CBD is one cannabinoid of many in cannabis plants. Despite many states legalizing cannabis for medical or recreational purposes, even both, marijuana remains federally illegal. However, times are changing. The 2018 Farm Bill legalized CBD if derived from non-psychoactive hemp, which contains less than .03 percent tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. THC is the cannabinoid that makes users “high.” CBD is not.
As mentioned, pharmaceutical companies are fast joining the fray. The popularity of CBD is widespread and growing at an exponential pace. Science proves lab-tested CBD oil products safe and effective for treating most health problems, from anxiety and depression to inflammation, pain, and most other common issues. What is more, it does so without heavy medical intervention.
Further, CBD works well in combination with most other medications. It increases efficacy in most cases, not all. For this reason, many doctors are now recommending patients use CBD in combination with conventional therapy. For those with mild issues, CBD proves enough. They do not require any other medications and folks are throwing unnecessary drugs away in favor of using CBD, a safer alternative.
Besides the fact that CBD works, and works well, other factors are bringing it mainstream too. Telemedicine is one. More and more doctors are consulting with patients online. Since CBD does not require a prescription, it is readily available most everywhere; doctors are recommending it with gusto. Interest in CBD is skyrocketing among both doctors and their patients, and not only for telemedicine.
Doctors accept its effectiveness in relieving mild issues and managing chronic conditions, such as pain, anxiety, digestive woes, appetite difficulties, sleeping disorders, mental health problems, and many other symptoms of most diseases. These are medical professionals. Although they would not suggest CBD in lieu of real medical interventions for serious conditions, it is increasingly favored for mild ones.
Confirmation of CBD’s benefits further play a role in pushing it mainstream. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved Epidiolex, a CBD-based prescription drug, back in June 2018 already. Used to treat seizures in children suffering with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, this highly refined drug is already on the market. Others are also in the pipeline, and for various medical interventions too, not only seizures.
Although the FDA is happy for CBD to enter the formal prescription trade, it is unhappy, even combative, toward use of CBD in the food and supplement markets. Most especially, the issue lies in how these industries market it. While the benefits of CBD are scientific, proven, and many, the Internet is famous for making wild, often false or suggestive claims in the name of marketing, often with little to no proof.
Another challenge is that CBD remains categorized as psychoactive, erroneously, in medical settings. It is not mind-altering the way THC is, but it does have noticeable effects. It is not intoxicating, you will not lose your mind or buzz for hours, but you will still feel it. CBD interacts with endocannabinoid receptors throughout the body, and because it derives from THC-rich marijuana too, its origin causes much worry.
If derived from hemp, however, CBD is legal and non-intoxicating. If derived from marijuana, it may contain higher traces of THC than it would from hemp. This can potentially fail a drug test. Despite this, Big Pharma is investing heavily in cannabis-related patents for medical applications, most especially in patent offices throughout the United States and Canada. They are developing CBD-based drugs.
The federal government is unreasonably harsh against marijuana, both medical and recreational. However, it has no issues with pure CBD extracts. This is, as mentioned above, provided it contains less than .03 percent THC, which is the line where hemp differs from marijuana. The Farm Bill of 2018 legalized hemp and all its derivatives, which includes hemp-derived CBD.
Although the U.S. government is coming to its senses, its stance on cannabinoids remains slightly bipolar. The Drug Enforcement Administration still classifies CBD as a constituent of marijuana, and as such, as a Schedule 1 drug. Other agencies within government are ignoring that status, however, and even big companies, like Walgreens, and big pharmacies, like CBS Pharmacy, are selling CBD extracts.
The Farm Bill also allows the transportation of hemp-derived CBD across state lines, essentially freeing it for use in pharmaceutical interventions and research purposes. Many industries benefit from this, including mainstream medicine. The lawful distribution of CBD nationwide offers immense benefit for its commercialization, which only pushes it even more mainstream.
Ultimately, the tussle between medical literature, market dynamics, and government regulation will determine the future of CBD. It is not going anywhere, which is certain. How it manifests itself within the market remains unclear. However, the market is young. As more CBD-based medications enter the scene, the more mainstream it will become. It is already mainstream. Beyond any point of suppression.
You can already buy CBD oil online. Anywhere in the United States. You can find it in cannabis dispensaries inside legal states. You can find it in health stores nationwide, in drug stores, even at your local Walmart. From edibles to oils, tinctures, capsules, topicals, hygiene products, feminine products, and more, CBD is already popular as medicine, dietary supplement, and preventative health measure.
