By now, you’ve probably run into a product containing
cannabidiol, also known as CBD. It’s in everything from drinks and pet products
to lotions and chewable gummies. Even major drugstore chains have announced
they will start carrying CBD products in certain states. But many people still
don’t really know what CBD is. Is it marijuana? Is it legal? Does it actually
work? Is it safe? The answers to those questions aren’t necessarily
straightforward. The only thing that is clear at this point: The marketing has
gone way ahead of the science and the law when it comes to CBD products. That
said, CBD is thought to be a safe and effective option for certain conditions.
Below, we sort through the confusion by answering some of the most common
questions about CBD.
Yes and no. Cannabidiol is one of the two best-known active
compounds derived from the marijuana plant. The other is tetrahydrocannabinol,
or THC, which is the substance that that produces the "high" from
marijuana. CBD does not get you high, but the idea that it’s not psychoactive
is something of a misconception in his opinion. It does change your
consciousness. You may feel mellow, experience less pain, and be more
comfortable. In addition, some CBD products do contain small amounts of THC. While
CBD can come from marijuana, it can also be derived from hemp. Hemp is a
related plant with 0.3% or less of THC. This plant is often used to make
fabrics and ropes. As of 2018, Congress made hemp legal in all 50 states, and
consequently CBD derived from hemp is also legal. The rules around
marijuana-derived CBD, however, are far less clear.
Again, yes and no, depending on where you live. In some
states marijuana is legal for both recreational use and medical use. In other
states, it’s legal only for medical use. And in some areas, it’s not legal at
all. When it comes to CBD products, the FDA is still trying to get its arms
around the issue. The agency is just starting the process of hashing out some
rules regarding CBD sales. Officials recently formed a working group to create
guidelines that could allow companies to legally market CBD products.
Currently, CBD products are considered supplements, which aren’t FDA-regulated,
and it is illegal for companies to make health or therapeutic claims about the
products in their marketing. In announcing its effort to set CBD marketing
rules, the FDA also signaled that it is cracking down on CBD companies that are
using "egregious and unfounded claims" to market their products to
"vulnerable populations."
