FDA Warns Against Pain Curing Claims Of CBD Industry

January 29, 2020 / Thomas Cohn, MD

cbd oil When it comes to selling healthcare products, companies often try to walk a fine line between marketing their product and making false claims about the true ability of their product. Oftentimes there are a lot of semantics at play and the Food and Drug Administration rarely intervenes over product claims unless they feel that the consumer is being grossly misled about a product. It appears they recently felt that way over claims made in the CBD industry.

We’ve talked about cannabidiol on the blog in the past, and like CBD, medical marijuana or other relatively new products on the healthcare market, our stance has been pretty similar. We want patients to find a solution that works for them, we want further scientific research to better understand these products, and we want patients to pair passive treatment options with active treatments like exercise and physical therapy. Until we can point to the science behind a product, we’re leery to suggest it as a solution other than to say, if it works for you and isn’t compromising your health, go for it.

CBD For Pain, Cancer and More

That’s not exactly the same sentiment felt by Rooted Apothecary LLC, a company based in Naples, Florida, that has been pushing CBD products on its customers. They are legally selling CBD products, but the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission believes the claims they are making about the effectiveness of the products are misleading and even illegal.

Some of the claims made by the company about their CBD products include such unsubstantiated claims as it can be effective for teething pain and earaches in infants, or that “CBD was effective in killing human breast cancer cells.” They also made claims that CBD has been effective in treating Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and can safely be used in conjunction with opioids. Not only are these claims unsubstantiated by science, but they can put the consumer’s health at risk.

“Cannabis and cannabis-derived compounds are subject to the same laws and
requirements as FDA-regulated products that contain any other substance,” said
Acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless, MD, in a press release. “We’ve sent
numerous warning letters that focus on matters of significant public health
concern to CBD companies, and these actions should send a message to the
broader market about complying with FDA requirements. As we examine
potential regulatory pathways for the lawful marketing of cannabis products,
protecting and promoting public health through sound, science-based decision-
making remains our top priority.”

Whether it’s CBD or another health and wellness product, we recommend that you do your own research and consult with your physician if you have any questions, especially if you’re already trying certain treatments for your pain. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. CBD is far from snake oil, but it’s not a magic pill either. Do your research, trust your gut and consult a professional for any questions you have.

What Science Says About CBD Oil For Chronic Pain

August 5, 2019 / Thomas Cohn, MD

cbd oil Cannabidiol, commonly referred to as CBD, is a compound found in the cannabis plant that many people swear by for its benefits when it comes to pain management, anxiety, stress or other health issues. We want you to find relief with whatever works, but what does science say about CBD’s effectiveness for pain management? Let’s take a look.

CBD and Pain Relief

If you’re like me, you can’t go a couple blocks it seems without seeing another business offering CBD products. Pizza places, movie stores, bakeries and wellness shops are all places where we’ve seen CBD being offered, but just how effective is it for your health condition? Scientifically, the jury is still out, but researchers are cautiously optimistic.

One of the reasons why we don’t have a lot of scientific data on CBD’s effectiveness for different pain conditions is because up until December 2018, cannabidiol was classified as a Schedule I substance. Now that it has been removed from that list, we’re quickly working to figure out its medical capabilities. Early studies have come to mixed conclusions, with some saying that the right combination of CBD products can help calm symptoms, while others say there exists a lack of good evidence that CBD can help with chronic neuropathic pain.

With that said, many researchers are still hopeful about CBD and it’s health uses in the future. The previous studies have had many limitations, so their conclusions may not be as accurate as we’d like. For example, many of these studies looked at the short-term impact of CBD in patients with a number of different pain conditions. Pain is the most unique health condition in the world, and everyone’s pain is unique to them.

We very well may eventually learn that CBD can help treat symptoms of certain types of arthritis or nerve pain, but it takes time to isolate all the variables and make these breakthroughs. In fact, a study published this year in the journal Pain found that CBD interacts with serotonin receptors in animals, which are believed to play a role in pain, depression and anxiety. By building on these studies, we may be able to come to stronger conclusions and better help patients in the not so distant future.

So as it currently stands, the jury is still out on the effectiveness of CBD oil for a variety of pain conditions. But as we said above, if you’re dealing with a pain condition, we want you to be able to find relief one way or the other. Some people find relief with diet and exercise, others with physical therapy, and others with CBD. What we will say is that while CBD may help your pain condition, it shouldn’t be your only form of treatment. Substances like CBD are a passive treatment, and they need to be combined with active treatments like stretching or exercise therapy to really help the underlying problem. Here’s hoping we learn more about CBD so we can best help our patients.

Are CBD Gummies Effective For Treating Chronic Pain?

January 9, 2019 / Thomas Cohn, MD

Every once in a while a new product splashes onto the market claiming to be a miracle cure for chronic pain. Recently, cannabidiol or CBD oil has become that product, and odds are you’ve seen an advertisement for CBD oil, CBD gummies or CBD products on the radio or in a magazine. CBD oil is derived from the cannabis plant, but unlike medical marijuana, CBD products do not contain THC, the primary psychoactive compound in the plant.

Like a lot of passive treatment options in the chronic pain community, CBD oil has earned mixed reviews. Some patients are calling it a wonder drug, as they say it’s been able to rid them of arthritis pain, calm their anxiety and help them sleep. Doctors on the other hand are a little more skeptical of the actual science behind the drug, but then again, since CBD products have been shown to have fewer side effects than traditional opioids, who are doctors to condemn a product that appears to be working for some people?

Is CBD Effective?

By most scientific reports, the jury is still out on whether or not CBD oil has a causal relationship with reducing chronic pain. A study involving rodents found that CBD helped to lower arthritis-related pain and inflammation in rats, but that same study has yet to be conducted on humans. Another recent study published in the journal Pain suggested that low-dose CBD may be effective at reducing pain and anxiety by interfering with a neurotransmitter linked to both. However, Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, who conducted the second study, said more research still needs to be conducted on how CBD really affects the body.

“[CBD] should be more thoroughly studied by doctors and scientists, and then go though the drug development stages and approved by regulatory agencies before being commercialized,” said Gobbi.

The problem is we’ve kind of skipped those middle steps, and that can be dangerous. Even if CBD oil is effective for some, there’s always the chance that we’re missing a potential side effect because the product hasn’t been thoroughly vetted by medical research. There’s also the possibility that the effectiveness is largely a placebo effect in a number of individuals, but again, placebos have been used to treat a myriad of health conditions in the past, so if it’s working for someone, it might be worth continuing.

With that said, if you’re considering beginning or continuing a CBD product regimen, run it by your primary care physician or pain management specialist. While it has shown promise for some conditions, it certainly won’t help certain ailments caused by physical problems, like a herniated disc or spinal stenosis. Don’t waste your time with a passive treatment that will not work if you’re dealing with these conditions. Talk to your doctor, uncover the root cause of your pain, and then determine if CBD oil could be effective for your condition. If you’re a candidate, odds are your doctor will be open to helping you explore the benefits of CBD oil.

One last thing of note – CBD oil is governed differently across the US. It is illegal in some states, while others allow it. Here in Minnesota, hemp products are legal so long as the THC concentration is below 0.3. So while CBD oil may be legal at the state level, it’s actually illegal at the federal level. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration considers all cannabinoids, including CBD, a schedule 1 drug, which means it’s as illegal as heroin from the federal government’s perspective. The federal government isn’t activly enforcing CBD’s illegal status, so while it’s unlikely you’ll get in trouble for purchasing or using it, it’s worth remembering that it’s not completly legal in the US, and it could affect your employment depending on where you work.

For more information on CBD oil or your chronic pain condition, reach out to Dr. Cohn’s office today.