Like many people with chronic pain conditions, I struggle to get adequate pain killers. Even if my doctor weren’t (understandably) wary of giving me the really heavy stuff, I’d be cautious of using it anyway. But the still-strong-but-less-so stuff that I do get just does not often do the trick. And if I was to take the full dose all day, every day, I wouldn’t have the presence of mind to keep working, and that is something that is very meaningful to me (and my bank account).
So when I heard about CBD – extracted from hemp – potentially being very effective against pain, I started looking into it. I figured that if the full whack of weed could be effective against endometriosis pain, it was perhaps conceivable that the bit of the weed that worked could have made it into the CBD that was for sale and legal in the UK. I don’t know which element was effective in the days I wanted to get stoned, but surely it could be the same element that was being sold legally (and in a non-stoned fashion) now.
So I started doing some reading and I joined a couple of CBD education groups on Facebook. I needed to know whether CBD was safe to take with the prescribed medication I take; I needed to know whether it contained THC (the bit that gets you stoned); and I needed to know whether there was any evidence for its efficacy.
What I found in the groups was a mixed bag of over-enthusiasm, cautious optimism and downright conspiracy theories. The over-enthusiastic side declared that CBD was the answer to (literally) every problem you might encounter from acne to verrucas. Cancer? CBD. Grief and loss? CBD. Polycystic ovaries? CBD. Athlete’s foot? CBD. Schizophrenia? CBD.
And this is where my first issue with the potential good of CBD arises. Even if it’s a medical miracle that is yet to be widely accepted, it can’t possibly treat everything. NOTHING is that good. Even if evidence only ever proves that it’s good for, say, back pain, that’s a wonderful thing and nothing is lost by admitting that it does not treat lung cancer equally as well.
Years ago, I read about a supplement that was supposed to help with endometriosis. Empowered by a book I had just read by Ben Goldacre, Bad Science, I contacted the manufacturer of the supplement and asked what research had shown that it was effective against this condition. I knew there had to be evidence because brands cannot just claim something works when it doesn’t. So the next question was how reliable that evidence was.
The manufacturer sent me a detailed scientific study that I waded through, powered by Goldacre wisdom. The most suspicious thing, I found, was that this paper proved that this supplement was effective against dozens of things. Sure, endo was among them, but seriously, there was no way it treated quite such a plethora of disease.
So it’s the same with CBD. Evidence is so far limited about its effectiveness and there have only been a few reputable trials at this stage. But its efficacy against insomnia and its efficacy against gunshot wounds cannot be laid alongside each other and stated to be equally as effective.
The most common question in the CBD Facebook groups is “I’ve got [insert condition here]. Can CBD help?”.
The most common answer, by far, is “Sure!”
But we cannot be so enthusiastic and positive when evidence is so limited for CBD at all, never mind CBD against specific health conditions.
Next, people ask if it is safe to take CBD with their medication; a question I had myself. Group members reassure others that, as long as you leave two hours (or four hours) between your meds and the CBD then it is safe, but this is based on guesswork. CBD has not been tested against any and every medication to be sure of this and, if we are so confident that it works effectively then it must have active ingredients that can potentially interact with the stuff your doctor prescribes you.
What’s the evidence?
There is evidence that CBD can be effective against two forms of childhood epilepsy. This is the only case for which CBD meets the criteria of America’s FDA for the approval of a new drug.
Further trials suggest that CBD might be effective against anxiety, and animal studies show a possible anti-inflammatory action.
There is also evidence that CBD can in fact interact with medication and require the reduction of anti-epileptic medication when CBD is being taken. Further, 10% of people taking CBD show increased liver enzymes, suggesting that the substance may cause liver damage in some.
That’s the reliable evidence we have so far. That’s your lot. And while further studies will no doubt be carried out, suggestions are screeched from the ‘information’ groups that the only reason CBD is not doing so well in clinical trials is that Big Pharma is suppressing the knowledge so that it can continue to profit from cancer, mental illness and more. CBD is the answer to every problem in the universe, so it must be contained at all costs.
Many people who take CBD are no doubt desperate, as I have been at times, to deal with their untreated or untreatable conditions. Anything that is held up as a potential cure-all is bound to be seen as attractive by people for whom medical science may not be as advanced as we like.
But exploiting that desperation by selling untested and potentially dangerous substances like CBD should be met with great scepticism. Where proven products are concerned, and where brands are honest about their processes, CBD could potentially be very exciting for people who struggle. But taking advantage of false hope and recommending the substance willy-nilly is irresponsible and potentially dangerous.
Photo: Surfergirl30