CBD or cannabinol oil is a molecule found in the cannabis flower which therapeutic properties have been tested and confirmed by scientists. CBD doesn’t make people high and clinical research includes studies of anxiety, cognition, movement disorders and pain. A version of the drug called Epidiolex has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of epilepsy disorders in children. Another version that contains CBD and THC was approved by Health Canada to treat neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis and cancer related pain.
Over the counter CBD products are not controlled by the FDA
Since 2017, food and beverage products infused with CBD have been introduced in the US market. However they are not controlled by the Food and Drug Administration. A recent investigation by the NBC New York I Team found that many of the products sold to consumers in retail or online do not contain the indicated amount of CBD or contained dangerous amount of lead or pesticides. Lab tests of Lazarus Naturals products found that the products contained 4 times the amount of lead authorized by the FDA. Consumption of this product by a child can be life threatening. Another sample bought from CBDistillery contained pesticide that exceeded California’s acceptable standard. Additionally more than half of the products tested had less than half of the amount of CBD mentioned on the packaging. Some of them of them had no CBD at all. The products with no CBD were purchased from a surgery recovery website called Dani’s Doll House that claimed that their CBD infused gummies were the strongest on the market and could speed up recovery.
In New York, patients suffering from conditions such as cancer, HIV infection or AIDS, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, MS, spinal cord injury, epilepsy, IBD, neuropathy, Huntington’s disease, chronic pain, or post-traumatic stress disorder can obtain medical CBD from New York state’s licensed medicinal marijuana producers. Unlike OTC CBD , medical CBD is strictly regulated and tested for potency, heavy metals, pesticides, fungicides and microbiological to make sure that it is safe for patients to consume.
If you are a CBD consumer and you buy it over the counter please make sure to research that it has been properly tested by an independent third party laboratory and that it doesn’t contain pesticides, heavy metals or other toxins.