Having been valued at $7.71 Billion in 2023, the global CBD market is a symbol of the growing use of alternative plant medicine. Its value is mostly owed to the supposed health benefits that many vendors and companies boast. According to mostly anecdotal evidence, CBD is said to help alleviate chronic pain, reduce inflammation, treat migraines, depression, anxiety, and even autoimmune dis- eases. Hearing this, it is easy to believe that CBD and its derivatives are some sort of miracle drug – akin to diazepam and morphine – but is this really the case? Is CBD the all-round drug of the future?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a chemical found in the cannabis sativa plant. Unlike its sister drug THC, it does not have any hallucinogenic effects. In the UK, CBD oil must not contain more than 0.2 percent THC or else it cannot be sold, so testing is needed to prove the product does not contain more than the limit. Once tested and approved, CBD products go on the market and are consumed. There are many sellers of CBD such as dedicated CBD shops, alongside big high street brands that sell these products, including Holland and Barrett and Superdrug.
Cannabis-derived chemicals interact with the body through the endocannabinoid system (ECS), one of many sophisticated networks of regulatory communication. Comprising cannabinoid receptors, enzymes, and naturally occurring neurotransmitters called endocannabinoids, this intricate system influences various physiological processes, from mood and appetite to pain perception and immune response.
Having only been discovered over the last 25 years, studies into how these enzyme-made endocannabinoids interact with the body may provide important information on how scientists can better manage issues that are a direct influence of the ECS, such as chronic pain, inflammation and other neurological issues. This new and promising field presents a reason as to why the CBD market is so lucrative.
Cannabis-based treatment for certain seizure disorders gained much traction in the media in 2012, when Charlotte Figi, an American girl with Dravet Syndrome – a rare and severe seizure disorder – was administered oil of a strain of cannabis containing very high quantities of CBD to help manage her seizures. Following the use of this strain, Charlotte’s family noticed a large reduction in the number of seizures she was experiencing.
The success of this treatment spread nationwide, leading many families seeking treatment for similar seizure disorders to migrate to Colorado, the state where this treatment was legal. Many patients reported success in reducing the number of seizures and the strain of cannabis was renamed ‘Charlotte’s Web’. In the following years, America’s medical marijuana debate skyrocketed, and Epidiolex, the first FDA approved, CBD-based, oral anti-seizure medication was produced.
Despite this, a review paper published in the years following Charlotte’s success with CBD for her seizure reduction noted some inconsistencies in patients reporting on their own seizure management using Charlotte’s Web.
The retrospective review found that those that relocated to Colorado were three times more likely to report seizure reductions of more than 50 percent compared to those that were already established in the state. The paper interpreted this as over-reporting due to the bias that came from the mental and financial toll taken to relocate.
On the contrary, a different review paper, specifically looking into the effectiveness of Epidiolex, noted that the drug did seem to reduce the frequency of seizures in those with Dravet syndrome compared to a placebo, but side effects vary, with some studies reporting that it is well tolerated, with minimal side effects and others suggesting that side effects are often moderate.
Another common claim that CBD can help manage anxiety has also been studied. A trial of orally-administered CBD versus a placebo shows a reduction of anxiety levels in healthy volunteers with Seasonal Affective Disorder – not chronic anxiety, which has yet to be studied. Despite this supposed re- duction, the study makes it clear that reduction of anxiety is only a possibility, not a definitive fact, unlike prescription medication.
The rather problematic tie between CBD treatment and slower cancer growth is also often cited by sellers of these products. Good Hemp, one of the largest CBD companies in the UK, suggests that “CBD might even have a role in preventing cancer cell growth”, going on to suggest it “could also help to alleviate symptoms related to the side effects of chemotherapy and other treatments.”
The link used to back up this claim leads to the Cancer Research UK website that conclusively states that the studies do not convincingly show that CBD limits the growth of cancer cells; some studies have concluded that it does, while others show that cannabinoids may actually encourage the growth of cancer cells.
When researching CBD treatment, it is easy for consumers to become lost in the jargon of cannabinoid research, with many companies providing their customers with rather inaccessible papers to back up their claims. Sadly, as with many strands of alternative medicine, the desperate and less-scientifically fluent are preyed upon.
Inflammatory claims about how CBD products can help limit cancer growth, without actual sufficient research into the mechanisms of this, is completely unethical. The science of CBD is still relatively unknown, so the confidence in this compound that sellers have must not be conflated with medical fact. Cannabis and its derivatives may have a bright future in the world of medicine, but the current trials suggest otherwise.
