See recent World Health Organization Release on CBD
November 2017 World Health Organization Report on CBD
A non-psychoactive cannabinoid that has been featured in much interesting research regarding conditions ranging from anti aging skin care strategies to anxiety, chronic pain, sleep disorders, skin conditions, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, anxiety, to multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease! There are many research papers listed under the research paper section of the website with information about the properties of CBD.
How Does CBD interact with THC?
People are different, some prefer CBD only remedies while others do best with THC and CBD in combination. I would say current research seems to indicate that CBD and THC work best together in some sort of ratio for most conditions. Also, interestingly CBD seems to attenuate the psychoactive effects of THC and pure CBD drops are being investigated as an antidote to THC induced paranoia or anxiety – however remember if you smoke THC you feel the effects within seconds to minutes while if you eat CBD it takes 2-3 hours for blood levels to peak.
How do I get CBD into me!
Most patients using CBD consume CBD orally via tinctures, edibles, capsules or concentrated oils – many also apply CBD topically.
What is the optimal dose of CBD?
Great question. Cannabinoid medicine for now is very individualized based on what is being treated and what the patients unique body chemistry is like. Some patients respond to very small doses of CBD (in the range of a few milligrams) to others needing much larger doses of multiple grams. Always start low and observe the effects and how you feel for a few days before changing the dosage. We have seen many people start with 25mg morning and night and slowly increase the dosage over a few weeks.
What is the best ratio of CBD/THC for seizures or other conditions?
Hard question, cannabinoid therapy seems to be individualized medicine. Some patients respond best to CBD rich oil alone, some do better with the addition of THC or THCa.
Sensitivity to THC can be a major factor too in determining the best ratio for a patient, high CBD Oil products have little to no high which can be great for those sensitive to THC.
When thinking of treating with CBD a takeaway point from current research that could be clinically applicable is to find a high CBD Oil product with as much THC in it as the patient is comfortable with. Patients must experiment with the medicine by starting at low doses and finding what works best for them.
Certain disorders do seem to indicate more of a 1:1 ratio of THC to CBD may be more effective – pain, cancer, and others, while others like anxiety and seizures seem to do better with a higher CBD to THC ratio. It is important not to give THC a bad name because of the psychoactivity the molecule causes, as the substance has many great applications and we stand to learn much from research on THC in years to come.
How do I select a good CBD product?
As always look for lab testing verifying the product is free of mold, pesticides and bacteria. The ratio of CBD:THC should be clearly indicated.
DrD’s takeaway learning point
Different people respond best to different things – Don’t be afraid to experiment with products that contains only pure CBD Oil and some products that have different ratios of CBD to THC.
Side Effects
CBD and THC inhibit the cytochrome p450 enzymes which can change the rate at which the body metabolizes SSRIs and warfarin amongst other drugs. Patients should follow with their physician when starting therapy.
