I was disappointed that the article seemed to convey that CBD may be a panicia, but the only actual evidence was for childhood seizures. That part is well established as a god-send for some. But there doesn't appear to be any compelling evidence (double-blind trials of reasonable size) for any other beneficial use. IMO, most sales of CBD oil are for modern-day snake oil. I have no doubt that there may be a placebo effect for many.

The system seems to be glitching in the reply and recommend function; maybe a little CBD can remedy the situation? I want to agree with others that this is a well written story and remind ourselves we cannot legally study gun violence, either. Got to get a permit to do that. A friend told my husband he made $20K overnight buying into stock regarding CBD. I suggest everybody remember the tulip fever before putting everything they own into such an oil sale. You can grow it yourself and heat it properly enough to make your own as detailed by the mothers desperate to solve a medical puzzle. Today, you can learn to on Youtube.

I'm told by one among us CBD contributes to glaucoma, so I'd consume a little THC with it if you dose regularly for pain and anxiety. My husband and I always pass our puff tests with flying colors, and now we can tell our eye doctor why. I already found CBD alone does little for me regarding joint pain ointments. Needs to have its companion along to balance the effect. I always chose flower with significant levels of CBD with my THC, otherwise I get no pain relief. Folks are promoting Delta 9's neighbor Delta 8 as a less psychoactive but effective reliever of pain and nausea. You do not want to be overly medicated as the body is always trying to find homeostasis whether it is getting an assist or not. If it senses you are over doing it, it will shut down receptors to reduce intake. What a Ted talker calls body smarts. Use it sensibly if you want it to work for you well.

Well written and researched--yes! My close friend has post traumatic seizures from a car/bicycle altercation. Traumatic Brain Injury. Four and a half years ago. The whole thing has been a nightmare, but the advice I would give for seizure disorders is find an appropriately experienced neurologist who specializes in seizures. An epileptologist. Then follow his or her advice exactly with no additives. Lots of people will try to point you to folk remedies, CBC and THC. They did us. And what we found after very mixed results was some hard science that THC connects with many of the same receptors as proven epilepsy drugs. Valproate was the one studied. We personally found a link to INCREASED seizures when THC or CBD was added to a successful course of Lamotirgine. I do not doubt that there are some people with intractable seizures that are helped by CBD/THC. And that makes sense if they are both targeting the same receptors. The advantage of the proven drugs as a first course treatment are: 1. Your doctor can monitor them closely. 2. And know what potency he or she is dealing with! Not all doctors know how to use and monitor these proven drugs. It takes a lot of work and communication. Don't just start throwing the baseball around in the china shop of neurology before you have taken a careful walk down the isle. The article is 100% correct, there is a lot of hype and sales around CBD.

Thank you for a very well researched and written article on this topic! I wanted introduce the readers to two highly unique multi-disciplinary CBD studies our non-profit organization Wholistic Research and Education Foundation (wholistic.org) has embarked on recently, in partnership with UC San Diego and the University of Utah to explore the mechanisms leading to CBD efficacy (how and why CBD works) - The UCSD research project “Investigating Cannabinoids in Autism Spectrum Disorders”, explores whether CBD therapies can reduce behavioral abnormalities in children with Autism, and if so, how. It is truly a first of its kind, multi-disciplinary study that spans clinical, scientific, advanced mathematical, and genetic techniques, across the same cohort of patients, offering the first comprehensive and systematic exploration on CBD efficacy for Autism. - The University of Utah investigation, “Brain Effects of Cannabinoids”, uses advanced imaging to visualize personalized effects of CBD and THC on individuals at functional and molecular levels. The objective of the groundbreaking effort is to analyze how the different cannabinoids may result in changes across entire brain networks and neuropsychological functioning, specifically related to attention, memory, processing of novelty and change, as well as stress and pain. The findings of this study can shape the developing field of cannabinoid therapy by understanding the personalized effects of cannabinoids.

It is important to remember that CBD also induces glaucoma as evidenced by a human trial and animal trials. Anyone using it needs regular evaluations and measurements of intraocular pressure (IOP). It would be sad if those needing CBD the most are doing so at the expense of their vision. They may be slowing going blind without anyone knowing it. If after multiple exams and a series of IOP checks it is determined that the CBD induced glaucoma, you would begin treating the glaucoma and need not go off the CBD. It is highly suspicious that those involved in the CBD industry, including those that are responsible for the FDA approved product have not followed up on the serious public health concern of potential vision loss related to CBD use.

The "War on Drugs" is for the benefit of BigPharma and the governments it controls, not for benefit of people. No substances that do not provide profit to BigPharma and the governments it controls are allowed to be used by persons even if such persons need them. All Wars are for the profit the warlords can get out of them.

Well researched, comprehensive article. CBD and cannabis can be safely and effectively used in a many conditions. Patients should be empowered with this knowledge and access to these valuable medications.

I have had severe shoulder, neck and back pain caused my tension from anxiety and depression. Literally, there are days where its painful to even move. I tried anti-depressants, anti-anxiety medications, massages, chiropractors and accupuncture. After much reluctance (I am very anti-drug) I tried CBD. Guess what? It didn't help either. CBD. marijuana...we have such a societal romantic view of it among some communities. Its not the miracle cure all for anything, its just another tool in a wide array of medical options for individuals that should be considered...its not the end all be all. So stop glamorizing it, please.

Professor Mechoulam the ‘God father’ of medical marijuana and I published an article in Nature 363 (1993) in which we provided direct evidence that the plant was used for medical reasons in the 4th century CE. Excavating an ancient Roman tomb in the town of Beit Shemesh I came across a 14 year old girl who had died in childbirth due to Cephalopelvic Disproportion. Lying on the abdomen of the young girl was a carbonized substance (7 grams) which when analyzed by the IL Forensic Department , showed that it was a mixture of the common reed and cannabis. Whereas we’ve known that it was used for thousands of years, in the 19th century British physicians conducted research showing that in the last stage of childbirth, it increases the frequency and the power of the contractions. The fact that it was used medically the world over, speaks for itself . The mixture had been burned in a glass vessel lying next to the deceased, probably the worlds earliest ‘bong’. The bible is silent in terms of its usage, scholars suggesting that the ancients wanted people to get well on the wisdom of religious authorities, as opposed to something which grows in the ground and available to ‘everyman’. A bit like todays ‘big pharm’ controlling access to what should be a right and not a privilege.

The Times needs to apologize for taking 65 yrs to finally report facts opposed to gov't propaganda when it comes to pot or any drug for that matter. Our stupid illegal war on drugs is nothing less the crimes against humanity yet we persist.

I have suffered for years with eustachian tube dysfunction. With this issue, my eustachian tube closes and stays closed for minutes, hours or days. The effect it is very similar to having a very bad cold; I hear my voice in my head, my heart beat is very loud and my ear feels very full. It's really annoying! I’ve been to multiple ear doctors in there is no real solution. A couple of months ago I was getting a massage and the therapist used CBD on her hands to ease the muscle pain after doing massage work all day long. I had a sore elbow and she put some on and within minutes, my elbow felt fine because it eased the joint inflammation. That got me wondering if putting some behind my ear might ease the inflammation in my eustachian tube and help. Luckily, I live in Washington state where marijuana is legal so I immediately went to the dispensary, bought CBD cream (with a bit of THC which apparently helps activate the CBD) and put it behind my ear. Within 20 minutes my ear was clear. It is a miracle. Honestly, it has been life-changing for me. It’s crazy that something like this isn’t easily accessible to everyone everywhere.

Smoking a joint is the ONLY CURE for intractable hiccups. I know someone hospitalized for eight days with hiccups. No drugs, acupuncture, hypnosis worked. He even hiccuped in a heavily-drugged sleep. Then an article in a British newspaper announced that marijuana is the only cure for intractable hiccups. The doctor read the article and checked my friend out of the hospital. One joint, and the hiccups stopped.

To explain it in a few words any substance that decreases anxiety has many important health benefits. So as long as such substance is not toxic like alcohol, and it does not cause serious side effects, as seems to be the case of CBD then it will be extremely useful to improve the health and life quality of probably billions of persons in the world. High anxiety/stress effects causes neurons to die, causes depression and memory problems, causes muscles to contract and become painful ("fibromyalgia") and increases the pain in almost all diseases (in arthritis the tenses muscles around a joint cause the joint to hurt more), contracted head muscles cause headaches, arterial muscles cause high blood pressure with the associated damage over all organs, especially kidneys, heart, and brain, Gastro-Intestinal disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Ulcers, and others are commonly increased or caused by anxiety/stress. Increased anxiety/stress causes dysregulation of the sympathetic-parasympathetic equilibrium affecting the metabolism of Glucose. Anxiety/stress is related to chronic inflammation and to reduced body's defenses that lead to infections and cancer. Insomnia is frequently due to inability to relax enough and then poor sleep causes more problems. Irritable mood and anger outbursts happen much more when a person is tense and that can ruin a person's life at work and with family, causing a vicious circle of stress, disease, impaired functioning, increased stress...

“And yet, for millenniums people have used cannabis itself with relatively few side effects. (These can include dry mouth, lethargy and paranoia.)” This statement, aside from being written while stoned (the word is ‘millennia’, man), is the crux of why cannabis prohibition is so absurd. Also, it’s not being paranoid when they’re really after you. “Unlike the better-known marijuana molecule delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, CBD isn’t psychoactive; it doesn’t get users high.” Neither does THC, in and of itself, despite the warnings issued about the potential for abuse of the drug ‘Marinol’, while it was still being prescribed. Unfortunately for those of us who are averse to complexity, there are quite a few more cannabinoids known to exist than just THC and CBD. Last I checked, there are around a hundred different cannabinoids which have already been isolated. It’s just easier to market things through a reductive lens.

trump, Pence, and Barr are soft on drugs and have surrendered to the tobacco & alcohol drug lords. Tobacco & alcohol, physically & psychologically addicting hard drugs, are the two most deadly & dangerous of all drugs. The use of tobacco/nicotine, results in more drug deaths, ~500,000 tobacco drug deaths annually in the U.S.; than the annual drug deaths in the U.S. from the use of every other drug, including alcohol, combined! Cannabis is a non-toxic medicinal herb, the use of which results in no drug deaths. Cannabis contains a number of cannabinoids, including cannabidiol (CBD). The federal government wrongly misclassifies cannabis as a schedule I controlled substance, when only a weak case can be made to classify cannabis as a schedule V controlled substance. The federal government unconstitutionally, irrationally, and immorally exempts the two most deadly drugs, tobacco & alcohol from virtually every drug law, including the CSA [21 U.S.C. § 802(6)], even though tobacco & alcohol are schedule I & II controlled substances by definition in the CSA. Either:  1) Tobacco; alcohol; coffee; and cannabis must be classified & regulated as the schedule I; II; V; and V (not schedule I) controlled substances these drugs are by definition in the CSA;  or,  2) All CSAs (federal & state) must be repealed and the DEA abolished.  Which will it be America?

I live in California and grow my own CBD-rich cannabis. The strain I use is 14% CBD with less than 1% THC. This is tested at a lab after every grow season. I then cook the flower in an MCT oil at about 165 degrees until I get the oil to about 30mg of CBD per ml. I use about 1 oz. of flower for 6 oz. oil. I then use the oil both topically and orally. When I use it topically, I mix the high-CBD oil with a high-THC oil at about 1:1 to create a salve. When I use it orally, I mix the high-CBD with high-THC in a ratio of about 5:1. I do not like the effects of THC, but as the article points out, you can file down the rough edges of the THC experience with enough CBD. And if you include some THC with the CBD, the effects of the CBD are synergistically increased. I use CBD for sleep, pain, anxiety and just for whatever else ails me. So I am one of those "vernacular" types who have had to experiment on themselves to find the contours of CBD/THC palliation. As an active 66-year-old man I have plenty of aches and pains. This winter, I fell off a ladder. I broke a couple of ribs. I passed on the Vicodin offered and weathered the pain with mighty and regular doses of CBD/THC. I wouldn't buy a commercial product, as they are often cagey about what exactly they contain. But this is a folk remedy that anyone can try. The problem for big pharma is that cannabis is much less predictable than, say, an opioid. One size won't fit all. But when you find that magic combination, it's a godsend.

You comment about the potency of different “strains” of cannibis and the ratio of CBD to THC. I suspect that this is not a change due to the cultivar but rather methods of growth. Most modern cannabis is a female only undertaking and produces a product without seeds. Myself I always preferred the product that contained seeds feeling a more rounded effect. My guess, and it is little more than a scientists intuition, is that during flowering the plant makes lots of THC which after pollination gets converted to CBD (easier than making a whole new molecule).

I would urge everyone to be very careful in using CBD products: many of them are contaminated with bacteria and fungi, and possibly also pesticides. I developed serious health problems after beginning to use CBD oil for joint pain, and it took me a while to realize that it was the hemp oil causing this. I changed to another brand, but it was also contaminated. Symptoms included significantly increased severity of the asthma I suffer from, sinus inflammation, sensitivity and pain in the teeth, and most seriously, after the most recent bottle of CBD oil, prolonged and severe diarrhea, that refused to respond to treatment and left me greatly weakened. It only stopped when I stopped taking the hemp oil. It must have been made from a particularly contaminated batch of hemp. The CBD oils is question were all manufactured in Western Europe, apparently to a high standard, and not cheap. My conclusions: One should be very careful with CBD products. I would advise not to take them unless you have a healthy immune system, and stop the moment you notice any new signs of illness.

Our local weekly reader also featured this topic in today's publication. One possible revision of the author's word choice herein: our article stated that CBD is infact psychoactive, in that it exerts influence on our mental/emotional state. The more nuanced term for CBD, she said, is "non-intoxicating", because it does not alter perception or behavior like THC or other substances. FWIW.

The reporting of this piece includes nuance, but I am concerned that this article is a little to quick to embrace early, non definitive studies on CBD. This article touts CBD as being effective for epilepsy, autism, opioid addiction, certain types of neurologic pain, and more. Based on scant evidence. I worry that patients with any of the above disorders would embrace CBD - and perhaps obtain it in substances of varying purity/potency - instead of trying established first line therapies. The history of medicine is replete with drug "discoveries" that promise to cure multiple diseases or disorders. After formal trials and observational studies, almost none prove to be the silver bullets that they were initially claimed to be. All that said, I have immense empathy for the parents of children with refractory epilepsy, and if my child were suffering as their's have suffered, I would be quick to try CBD. It's important, however, to evaluate CBD in rigorous trials to find out, if it is effective against epilepsy, which forms of epilepsy it is effective against and which patients with those forms of epilepsy respond best to therapy. Although epilepsy and the other diseases disorders included in this article cause heart rending pain and suffering, I would urge caution here.

The key to understand how CBD has what this article calls "many different effects" is that actually one effect by itself, the reduction of anxiety/stress leads to most if not all of the other effects, the irritability (snapping in anger) that happens with tension, the insomnia because of tension and increased alertness that are associated with increased anxiety/fear, the pain caused by contracted muscles in a tense person, Gastro-Intestinal symptoms and "diseases/syndromes" such as Crohn's disease, are closely related to elevated anxiety/stress, the impaired body defenses that lead to skin conditions, infections, and cancer which happen under stress, and of course seizures happen also more in a person who is stressed out. It is quite possible that some of the benefits of CBD are not related to its well known effect over anxiety, but of the benefits described in this article most of them happen just by decreasing anxiety, and that is also the reason "alcohol" use in small amounts decreases chances of heart attacks because alcohol decreases anxiety too, and that why alcohol, cannabis, and opioids are so popular among people since thousands of years ago.

Good article. Clearly, we are on the threshold of a whole new era regarding CBD. When seizures are eliminated or just greatly reduced in frequency, the word placebo need not even enter the discussion. A friend of mine is a service manager at a car dealership. He has 7 screws in one shoulder from an industrial accident, and was in minor pain from it for decades. A few months ago, I told him how someone else I know took CBD for neck and shoulder issues with huge success. He is someone who doesn't drink, smoke pot, or anything. He went online and researched CBD, ordered it, and has been pain free since. The ultimate test was going up north by the Canadian border snowmobiling in freezing temperatures - the results were the same. He even got some for his elderly dog. I'm guessing the pharmaceutical companies have avoided CBD because it's a public domain type of thing they can't monopolize and gouge us with. It reminds me of a bumper sticker I saw back in the 1970's while living in the green pastures of Cambridge, Ma. - "The Only Reason We Don't Have Solar Power is Because the Oil Companies Don't Own the Sun".

The main issue here isn't whether CBD (or cannabinoids more generally) have therapeutic value. Obviously I don't want any claims being made about miracle cures, so any snake-oil claims should be ignored. The main issue is that people should have the right to use recreationally any substance they please, so long as they don't hurt anyone else. If CBD helps you, or you enjoy it, then you should be permitted to ingest it. Government should have no role here.

Stop me if I get this wrong. The commercial drug companies make up a test tube of goop, they test it on animals and then maybe sick people, claim ownership and sell the stuff, working "for the benefit of all." Separately, researchers discover a natural element that works without damage, produces efficacy, the desired results in pain reduction and needs no modification being natural, and has no owner. Is this accurate? Qui bene?"

It is truly unbelievable that so many other Western countries are pushing ahead with research into the possible benefits of an apparently harmless drug that seems to have potential to at least partially relieve a range of symptoms from epilepsy to chronic pain to PTSD (CBD); but because it is derived from the cannabis plant it is being treated in the US as if it were 'Devil Weed' (wait, thats Dutra stramonium or Jimson Weed-which HAS been tested in the US for the use in inflammatory conditions and for epilepsy). It seems that in the case of cannabinoids Federal policy toward research continues to be guided by superstition, politics and deeply held prejudice against a plant once primarily associated with it's use by People of Color, rather than by any concern for it's possible medical, psycho-phamacetical, recreational or commercial benefits. Beyond ridiculous.

Sadly, racism played a huge role in making this substance illegal. World-wide people could have benefited from this plant but a racist prevented its' use. Shameful. Since moving to Colorado, I have slept well like I have never slept in my life. I vape it at night, sleep soundly and wake up refreshed. It worked for me. I have always been a person who laughs often, now I laugh even more. Marijuana even make doing chores more fun. Let's make marijuana and CBD hassle free. Let's empty our prisons. Sigh....

Fantastic reporting on a drug/plant/issue, that is not going anywhere. Appreciated the historical perspective as well. CBD is truly helping me with pain and I am grateful. I look forward to a day when the country makes at least medicinal CBD/THC products legal and starts to train doctors on how to prescribe it - I can not find anyone here in MN to help with that so I have to experiment on my own. Well done....

I have fairly severe psoriatic arthritis and numerous back problems. I tried CBD about six months ago just to see if it would alleviate some of my constant pain. I found that it nearly eliminated the muscle spasms I get in my hands and feet. What a relief!

Thank you for this finely researched article. I have no idea what, in t4eh end scientists will learn about CBD. I do hope that severe restrictions are not placed upon it: it would,first of all, raise the price significantly,and put it out of reach of many users or potential users. Please - let the FDA try to oversee the medicines it now is supposed to be in charge of. There's no evidence that it does harm; there may of course be some that is identified, and undoubtedly it will be to those who think that if a teaspoon is recommended, 10 tsps. will be ten times as good. My only experience is second hand: I started supplying some for my mother back in January. She is almost 97 and has vascular dementia, and she was exhibiting increasing overreactions to, and aggression towards, other residents ( this is, BTW, a major issue in nursing homes). To date, she has been more able to tolerate others, and less likely to react to others who intrude in her space with anger. It's not as if there was a dramatic overnight change -- nor can I be 100% sure that it's the CBD oil. The thing is - there are no great alternatives. And at least this one seems to be harmless.

This is my admittedly anecdotal story. I'm an extreme night owl so I've had problems with falling asleep at a decent hour since I was a child. Every Sunday my Dad would get upset b/c I would have such a hard time waking up for church at 9 am that I would always make us late. In high school I distinctly remember falling asleep in class. I can count on one hand the number of good nights sleep I've gotten in the last 10 years. I started a stressful job about 3 years ago and have been taking prescription sleeping pills. I kept having to increase the dose in order to fall asleep and I would still wake up most nights at 3 or 4 in the morning and either not fall back asleep or toss and turn then maybe sleep another hour or so. Every morning I would wake up exhausted and gobble some caffeine pills and still feel terrible all day. Obviously the rx pills were making me "sleep" but the quality of that sleep was atrocious. I have spent at least $2k on every supplement/herbal remedy sleep aid known to man with zero results, so I'm EXTREMELY skeptical of supplements. Last week I had to call in sick to work for an entire week due to my extreme exhaustion/burnout. As a last resort I ordered a bottle of high potency CBD (50 mg per mL) from a reputable online seller and started taking a very high dose (100 mg). This may be placebo effect so I'm reserving final judgment until I see sustained results for at least 6 months, but I've never slept better the last week. Fingers crossed.

So many people use their N of 1 to decide if something works or not. I hope that the current use of CBD can be somehow translated into useful data. We need solutions to health problems. We don't need people chasing after rumors at the expense of their health.

The pharmaceutical industry has typically ignored a basic tenet of science - the phase of observational work, which is the essence of this article We rely on a drug pipeline that starts with animal models (which usually only vaguely mimic human conditions) and a flawed system of health diagnoses. The ultimate result is a series of clinical trials that support (or not) efficacy of a new compound for narrowly defined conditions that may be poorly linked to underlying mechanisms. This can work very well in some circumstances, but can fail miserably in others. These personal anecdotes regarding CBD and other cannabinoids represent an observational phase of the scientific method. They provide one measure of support, which in most circumstances should lead to more experimental trials. Given the low-risk profile of cannabis, compassionate use (as defined by the FDA) is an interim solution for those most poorly served by available approved treatments. And in states where cannabis is legal, individuals can self-medicate (as we all do with over the counter medicines). The most likely result of the ultimate scientific work is that some CBD uses will be supported and others will not be. To dismiss the current knowledge as unscientific is a grave mistake. We are simply at an early stage of the science. This article does a nice job of presenting current knowledge about CBD and THC in context.

The only thing which actually does all the things CBD oil (and all the other useless pills, supplements and tinctures) claims to do is 8 hours of sleep.

The federal government has been bold-face lying to the public about the dangers of marijuana. This has stymied research and brainwashed hoards of the population about this plant. The most common argument I see from commenters and even within the article is that "it might not work for your particular ailment". Okay so what are the potential downsides if it doesn't? From everything I read it seems that, even if taken in mass quantities, there are little to no negative effects. So why is this a schedule 1 drug??? If the gov't can just as easily lie about this what else have they lied about....

My 16 year old dog was given 3 months to live, diagnosed with a large cancerous tumor in one of her lungs. A week and a half ago we started giving her CBD oil. The change is undeniable. She's running, jumping over the doorsill to get outside. She's smiling (yes smiling) barking again and sleeping less then she has in years. I've started giving it to my other dog who's 13, she's interested in her toys again and less hostile toward strangers. I'll be refilling their oil and getting some for myself. Who knows what it will do for me.

The biggest scam to hit the health field in the last 20 years.

Works for my aches and anxiety attacks. Definitely way cleaner and with less side effects than the big Pharma stuff.

It is so over-hyped it's absurd. But it is also thought to be relatively harmless. The worst side effect of "pure" cbd may be an empty wallet because it certainly isn't cheap.

Fascinating article. We owe a debt of thanks to the parents who had the courage to push back against antiquated drug laws in order to help their sick children.

I had suffered a torn rotator cuff about a year ago and it required surgery for repair. At my age at that time (68) it turned out that it would be a lengthy rehabilitation time with considerable associated pain. Of course I was prescribed Oxycodon for the pain. That frightened me especially the first 2 weeks after the surgery because the pain was constant and I was losing a lot of sleep. I discovered that smoking marijuana worked just as well as the Oxycodon and there was no chance of becoming opioid dependent. As this piece mentioned, approximately 130 people per day die from opioid overdose. When the pain was so great that the marijuana didn't dull it, I took a 12.5mg Oxycodon and marijuana that did the trick. I still have some Oxycodon left from my 30 day supply that was prescribed 13 months ago. I realize that this article is about CBD but I wanted to share that marijuana is an effective alternative to opioids. BTW, I have some CBD infused salve that is helping me with my dermatitis that had my dermatologist stumped.

There is no question Epidiolex works for some seizure patients. For a small group, the positive effects are even dramatic. But it should be pretty obvious that something that is supposed to work for pretty much everything must be a hoax. Placebo effect, wishful thinking etc. all abound. This article reinforces most of the myths and does little to fully air the problems in the self treatment movement,

I tried CBD and at first I felt really great. I was taking 1 drop sublingually before going to bed of pharmaceutical grade 20% CBD in cannabis oil. Throughout, I had a great reduction in muscle spasms and cramping. After a couple of months I began to experience disconcerting side effects: my eyes could not focus in sync and I had strange and embarrassing flaccidity or sagging in various areas (breasts, vulva, face). I also began to sleep not enough because I would wake up too early in the morning. It was like I aged 20 years in no time at all. Within a few days of stopping the CBD the distressing side effects reversed themselves.

An absolutely excellent article! The level of research and study to produce this is outstanding. Kudos to the author. My wife has ALS and we believe small doses provide some relief to the nerve pain in her lower extremities.

I had been a casual user in my youth, but also had spinal injuries from an auto accident that broke my neck at 6 yrs old. I had gotten to the point where I had figured I had 'outgrown' put use, and so put it aside. Well, my symptoms of pain and inflammation increased, and 2 weeks after I had stopped on my own, my Neurologist told me that he had tried it himself, and that if I had not already tried it, that he would strongly recommend it to help with the inflammation and pain. That was in '98. Fast forward twenty years, and I have in the last year gone from smoking pot, since my present Doctor told me that I was already at the maximum morphine he could prescribe without pain clinic (which puts major restraints and is still federally run) to 'Smoke more pot' for increades pain. Well, there is a limit to how much one can smoke, so to get therapeutic levels of CBD and THC I use a full plant extract and eat 1/10th of a gram 2 or three times a day. I have found myself with a base pain cut of 2 points on a 1-10 scale, from a 6 to a 4, on my highly elevated levels is very good. I am able to sit upright for more than 3 hours at a time, and able to use the keyboard easily instead of pecking out slowly what I needed to put into words. I will put up with being a little bit fuzzy-high in exchange for the full body reduction in pain which allows me to actually get up and walk again. At 56 it is about time I am afforded relief, and considered adult enough to get it.

I think the real issue with CBD is not its legitimacy but its efficacy. With the exception of use for controlling epilepsy, I am not aware of any scientific studies demonstrating that CBD alleviates or cures any of the many ills it is claimed to manage. It is time to get over the association of CBD with marijuana and do the necessary scientific research to determine what CBD can and cannot accomplish.

Now to elect a representative gov. and president that will do the right thing. NotMeUs

my god... it is so much hype. and those hopeless may cling to the cure-all mumbo jumbo.

Fascinating article. The main takeaway for me is that it reveals what happens when politics gets in the way of science. Cannabis research was starting to take off when politics interfered because people of color used it to feel better. And that was that! We also learn that when politics assumes a moral role based on false science and prejudice, not only does society at large fall victim to the untruths, the scientific community does so also. This prevents the scientists from disproving the untruths, which denies much needed therapy to those in need. The result is a "black market" of unregulated products that could contain contanimates or not advertised potency. The consumer is failed again. It is obvious that the scientific community should pursue the mechanisms of cannabis as we actually know little and the potential for good is extremely high. But politics and the ignorance it fosters is holding progress back. Interesting side note. The same tale of cannabis is being duplicated with global warming regarding how politics and its ignorance is retarding progress.

As a research psychologist I am sorry to see how little medical and psychological esearch has been conducted on the effects of marijuana and its relative, CBD. I know many people who swear by CBD as a way to reduce their aches and pains and anxieties (and even those of pets), but I am also aware of the placebo effect. However, my old body's aches and pains are reaching the point where OTC painkillers don't have a lasting effect, and I certainly don't want to resort to opioids if I can possibly avoid it. If CBD does have these wonderful properties I--and millions of others--would really like to know. Based on anecdotal evidence, which is always suspect, I am tempted to give CBD a try except for the following reasons: 1) CBD is illegal in my state; and 2) because there are no standards for producing and labeling CBD, there is pretty much no way of knowing exactly what I am getting if I were to cross state lines and purchase something labeled CBD. I don't like putting foreign and unknown substances in my body, and God forbid CBD, or something masquerading as CBD, should have a negative interaction with one of the several medications prescribed by my physician. Let's find out what CBD is, what it does and how it works, and then, if it is shown useful, set national standards for producing CBD and making it widely available to the public.