6 common myths and controversies about CBD-rich cannabis

Cannabidiol (CBD) is an exciting focus of medical research, popular media, and marijuana-related legislation. Its presence is becoming ubiquitous on the shelves of natural food stores and in research findings for numerous medical conditions, but don't believe everything you hear.

While CBD is a therapeutic and incredibly safe component of cannabis, there are many myths and misconceptions associated with it. Let's take a look at some.

Myth 1

CBD is non-psychoactive and medical; THC is recreational

Both lay and scientific literature have classified CBD as a "non-psychoactive" substance, meaning it does not alter consciousness. But how can CBD fail to impact consciousness when it has been shown to have anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic, anti-craving, alerting, and mood-enhancing effects in human studies?

CBD clearly affects our psyche, usually in beneficial ways. However, this does not impair mental or physical function in most consumers, even at very high doses. Thus, CBD can be considered psychoactive, but "non-impairing" or "non-intoxicating." It is not necessary to treat a serious medical condition to benefit from using CBD and enjoy sharing it socially.

Most Leafly readers have already recognized and overcome the false dichotomy that CBD is the medical part of the plant and THC is for recreation. THC is clearly medicinal - hundreds of clinical trials have shown that THC has remarkable and highly relevant medicinal properties.

If THC is medical and recreational, can the same be said about CBD? Probably not. While CBD clearly has medicinal benefits, few people would want to use it for recreation. CBD does not produce a "rewarding" or strongly pleasurable effect. Its use in animal and human studies is not associated with euphoria, craving, compulsive use, or any other sign indicating recreational use or drug abuse.

But this raises the question: where does recreation end and therapeutic use begin? If a group of friends shares a CBD-dominant spray or vape pen, they are unlikely to start laughing and telling long stories punctuated by periods of doubt about what they were talking about.

But they are more likely to feel relaxed, focused, and stress-resistant. It is not necessary to treat a serious medical condition to benefit from using CBD and enjoy sharing it socially.

Myth 2

CBD is sedative

While some early studies have attributed a sedative effect to CBD-dominant cannabis preparations, CBD itself is not sedative; it is actually alerting. CBD has been shown to counteract the sedative effects of THC, delay sleep time, and reduce the "hangover" associated with THC.

Even very high doses of pure CBD, such as 600 mg in a single dose, did not produce a sedative effect in healthy individuals. Why the confusion? It may be that cannabis varieties containing high levels of CBD also contain significant amounts of myrcene, a potentially sedative terpene.

Occasionally, I see patients who report that CBD can disrupt sleep. More often, patients tell me that CBD makes them feel awake, but when they lie down and close their eyes, they have no trouble falling asleep.

Myth 3

A little CBD is enough

I am known as a strong advocate for using very low doses of marijuana to treat medical conditions, enhance the endocannabinoid system, avoid side effects, and prevent marijuana tolerance. So, it may surprise you that I often support the use of high doses of CBD, especially when used in the absence of significant amounts of THC. Milligram for milligram, CBD is much less potent than THC in symptom relief.

Why? Milligram for milligram, CBD is much less potent than THC in symptom relief. For example, one of my patients who experiences pain or anxiety relief with 3 to 5 mg of THC may need 30 to 200 mg of CBD to produce similar results, if they can be achieved. And while there is significant overlap in the symptoms that can be treated with THC or CBD, the way they relieve these symptoms and individual responses to these two agents vary significantly.

Studies using pharmaceutical-grade CBD to treat anxiety, schizophrenia, and seizures have used hundreds of milligrams per dose. This would simply be unattainable for most consumers. But can lower doses of CBD bring some benefit? The answer is likely yes. Some of my patients report feeling more alert, focused, and clear-headed after using 2 to 20 mg of CBD orally or after a few inhalations of CBD-dominant cannabis.

Myth 4

CBD is the same as hemp, medical cannabis, or isolate

A CBD molecule is the same, regardless of its origin in medical marijuana, hemp, or a laboratory. But do the various CBD products on the market have the same effects, regardless of their origin? Probably not.

While CBD is a remarkable medicine, it clearly works best in the context of its plant phytochemical brothers and sisters, especially THC. When used together, CBD can enhance the therapeutic effects of THC and reduce adverse effects. Even very low levels of THC, along with additional components of the cannabis plant, appear to enhance the benefits of CBD in pain and inflammation, at least in a rodent study. ^[iv]

While the distinction between medical cannabis varieties and hemp continues to blur, it is still likely that hemp is a less efficient source of CBD - much higher amounts of hemp raw material, compared to medical cannabis varieties, may be needed to extract CBD. This can increase the risk of contaminants in the final product.

Additionally, the hemp-based CBD industry is rampant with mislabeling. A recent study found that only 31% of the 84 CBD products purchased online were accurately labeled for CBD content.

So, what is the best source of CBD? Whenever possible, I recommend locally grown, artisanally produced, and lab-tested products acquired through a legal medical cannabis program. I know this is not possible for all readers.

If you are buying online, it can be difficult to know which retailer to trust, and unfortunately, there is no good solution unless you have access to third-party lab tests to verify cannabinoid potency and contaminants.

I encourage hemp-based CBD consumers to seek detailed answers about quality control - some companies will provide copies of a lab analysis that correlates with the batch in question.

Myth 5

Cannabidiol acts by activating cannabinoid receptors

We all have an endocannabinoid system as an essential part of life. It helps us respond to illness and injury, restoring balance at the cellular level and is always working in all our organs and tissues to keep us healthy. This system is therefore a natural target for therapeutic interventions, including herbs, medications, and lifestyle modifications, in almost every known human disease.

The hard-to-believe efficacy of medical cannabis in treating neurological, inflammatory, gastrointestinal, psychiatric, infectious, and metabolic conditions is justified by the widespread presence and healing effects of the endocannabinoid system.

The therapeutic effects of CBD are similar in many ways to those of its close relative, THC. Both relieve pain, spasticity, nausea, anxiety, and seizures, and both reduce inflammation. We know that THC works like our body's endocannabinoids; both activate cannabinoid receptors and lead to cellular activities that restore physiological balance.

One might assume that CBD works similarly, but that is, in fact, a misconception. CBD does not directly stimulate CB1 or CB2 receptors. Instead, when CBD comes into contact with these receptors, it actually decreases their activity level, causing a mild to moderate decrease in the effects of THC and endocannabinoid signaling at the CB1 receptor.

Despite its ability to directly decrease cannabinoid signaling, CBD also has the ability to indirectly increase cannabinoid signaling. This is done by inhibiting the breakdown and transport of our most abundant endocannabinoid, anandamide. A clinical study showed that patients with schizophrenia treated with 800 mg of CBD daily had significant increases in their anandamide levels for 28 days.

If understanding these two opposing properties of CBD is difficult, welcome to the science of cannabinoids, a field full of opposites and paradoxes. If you take CBD, will it inhibit or stimulate your endocannabinoid system? The answer is likely both and probably depends on your needs and the amount of CBD you take.

Myth 6

CBD is legal in all 50 states

Just because everyone says CBD is legal, it is for sale in your natural food store or smoke shop, available on Amazon, and non-abusable, you might think it is probably legal. If you ask the DEA, however, you will find that they disagree.

See this 2015 memorandum from the Drug Enforcement Administration. According to the Controlled Substances Act, CBD is considered a member of the group of "tetrahydrocannabinols." The FDA has also stated that a CBD product cannot be considered a "dietary supplement" because it has been "authorized for investigation as a new drug for which substantial clinical investigations have been instituted and for which public investigations have been made public..." This language can be found in the numerous letters that the FDA has sent to online CBD retailers.

Fortunately, I do not believe there is any real danger of legal consequences for the consumer of CBD supplements. Retailers and producers of hemp-based CBD products may still face some risks, depending on how motivated our federal agencies are to enforce these regulations that do nothing to protect public health.

Additionally, for more information on using marijuana therapeutically, you can access Healer's free programs for new consumers, existing consumers looking for more benefits, and healthcare professionals in need of support.