There’s no denying the interest in cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating cannabis compound in the plant, is on the rise. Be it Canada, the U.S., Europe or elsewhere around the world, the hype around CBD is widespread and many companies, consumers and patients are welcoming a deeper dive into its therapeutic possibilities.
Commercial start-ups and internet retailers have jumped on the CBD bandwagon, touting CBD derived from industrial hemp as the next big thing, with applications ranging from treating tumours to seizures and chronic pain, The Fresh Toast reported this year. But along with growing awareness as a potential health aid, misperceptions persist and multiply.
Is CBD medical and THC recreational?
Despite the persistent perception that CBD is for health while THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is merely recreational, Project CBD makes clear the two most famous cannabis compounds do not break down along such strict lines. THC has promising therapeutic properties, notes the California-based non-profit dedicated to promoting and publicizing research into the medical uses of CBD and other cannabis plant components.
In general, “patients report many benefits of CBD, from relieving insomnia, anxiety, spasticity and pain to treating potentially life-threatening conditions, such as epilepsy,” Dr. Peter Grinspoon writes in a recently updated post on the Harvard Health Blog.
Research shows THC has therapeutic possibilities
With regard to health benefits, Project CBD cites findings by scientists from the Scripps Research Center in San Diego. In findings published in 2006, they noted that CBD inhibits an enzyme implicated in the formation of beta-amyloid plaque, the hallmark of Alzheimer’s-related dementia, notes the Fresh Toast article posted on The GrowthOp.
In a study a decade later, scientists at the Salt Institute found “preliminary evidence that THC and other compounds found in marijuana can promote the cellular removal of amyloid beta, a toxic protein associated with Alzheimer’s.”
In the U.S., the federal government recognizes single-molecule THC (Marinol) as an anti-nausea compound and appetite booster, deeming it a Schedule III drug, a category reserved for medicinal substances with little abuse potential, the article notes. But whole plant cannabis continues to be classified as a dangerous Schedule I drug.
More research into plant’s effects on brain needed
Here at home, Alzheimer Society Canada reports on its website that researchers still have a lot to learn about the long-term effects of cannabis on the brain. Some clinical trials “have identified that cannabis can help manage behavioural symptoms in people with dementia, including agitation and aggression, but only in some cases,” the society states.
It has funded research on how endocannabinoids affect mood and anxiety in dementia and how the synthetic cannabinoid nabilone can treat agitation in Alzheimer’s.”
Looking how to treat certain seizure-related conditions is progressing, with GW Pharmaceuticals announcing in late July that its cannabis-based treatment, Epidyolex, has won a recommendation for marketing approval from a European Medicines Agency committee for use as an additional treatment for two types of seizures.
Reuters reports that the cannabidiol oral solution has been cleared for use with clobazam to treat seizures associated with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome or Dravet Syndrome for patients aged two and older.
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