You see it everywhere: CBD Gummies, CBD drinks, CBD lotions, and even CBD toothpicks. And how about CBD for your anxious fur baby that shivers during thunderstorms? The cannabidiol (CBD) industry is estimated to be a $16 billion industry by the year 2025. Businesses selling CBD products make some huge promises, but many claims are misleading. Scientists don't even know what's true and what's not. In this weirdly regulated space, it's hard to know what exactly is in the product you're buying.
That's not to say that every single unregulated option is bad for you. It doesn't mean the company isn't doing right by you as the consumer. But it's important to realize that you really are taking the risk into your own hands when consuming these products because there is no regulation other than the onus of the company itself.
CBD, or cannabidiol, comes from a specific kind of plant—the cannabis plant, more popularly known as marijuana. There are three types of cannabis plants, but two are more widely grown: cannabis sativa and cannabis indica. Now, we all know that the cannabis plant is best known for getting people high, but its chemical makeup is actually a lot more complex.
At the molecular level, the cannabis plant, specifically the more popular cannabis sativa, has over 500 chemical compounds. Approximately 100 of these chemicals are known as phytocannabinoids or cannabinoids. Cannabinoids don't occur naturally; they're actually acids first. The two most common cannabinoid acids are tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA). Expose both of them to heat and bam—you have cannabinoids in a process called decarboxylation. You've heard of this. The two cannabinoids produced are CBD and THC.
THC is psychoactive; it makes you high and is considered a Schedule I controlled substance. CBD does not have the same noticeable effects and is not considered a Schedule I controlled substance by the Drug Enforcement Administration. But over the past few decades, scientists have become curious about this forgotten part of the plant because they saw that CBD could be used to treat certain things like anxiety or some forms of epilepsy.
In 2018, CBD became legal at the federal level. No exaggeration, the CBD industry has exploded. You hear about it on commercials, web ads, podcasts, your neighbor—everyone. It melts away all memories of crossing the classroom barefoot. It's an organic full spectrum of CBD and refreshing oral spray. Level Select CBD is the brand athletes count on to stay in the game. They're like, "CBD to treat depression, headaches, fatigue, nausea, rub the CBD lotion on your body for quicker recovery times." Give the CBD treat to your dog so his fur can be shinier. Who even knows? The claims are everywhere. But where is the science-backed evidence? That's debatable.
So, I hit up a local CBD shop to look at their offerings and ask some questions. Here we are at the Sun Spot Shop in the Mission District in San Francisco. They've been around since 2020, specializing in all things CBD and hemp. I'm curious, you're curious—let's check it out.
Alright, so the first thing I'm picking up when I walk in here is this array of products. Over here, I've got bath products, washes, facial masks, and chapstick. There are CBD and hemp products for your pets, which is kind of rad. There are edibles over here like fruit gummies and fruit chews. Because every time I read and try to learn about CBD and THC, I look at the products here and I see broad spectrum, full spectrum, and CBD isolate. And I'm like, something else that I need to ask an expert about.
Well, fortunately, I have an expert. I've got the owner, Reggie, right here who is going to break it down for us.
Reggie, can you please explain to me the difference between broad spectrum, full spectrum, and CBD isolate and in what situation I would choose one versus the other?
Reggie: "Great question. People ask us that all the time. We have a chart on the side wall that makes it plain. But in a nutshell, the full spectrum gives you the total benefits that the plant has to offer, including some bits of THC as well as the other cannabinoid compounds. Broad spectrum usually means that it has the cannabinoid compounds and no THC whatsoever, and isolate is for a specific compound for specific reasons. For example, CBN is a compound you find when it comes to sleep. CBG is great for your immune system. So if you have a particular specific situation going on, then you would probably want to go with isolate."
Is there one that tends to be more popular than another, or is it just kind of based on the individual?
Reggie: "Well, CBD is the popular kid on the block. The other kids are like, 'Hello, we're out here doing good things too!' So for example, we have a bubble bath that has CBD isolate because it's just about the pain and inflammation and swelling. There are roll-ons that have more of a broad spectrum isolate because they want to give you the benefits that all the other compounds have. And we have a full spectrum because some people believe that you need a little bit of THC with CBD to make it as active and as effective as can be."
Well, Reggie, you are a gem. I appreciate you taking the time to chat with us about all things CBD. And I feel like now I know my CBD... Next time, you can chill with me. You finished it. I'm here all day, folks. But for real, this has been enlightening.
It's important to note, though, that there is a difference between the CBD products you can buy in a shop like this and what you're going to find elsewhere. Other shops, online, and it's important we talk about this because this is like the gray zone of rules and regulations.
Sheena, shed some light on all of this for us.
Sheena: "Absolutely. And this is where the rules get murky. CBD that contains more than 0.3% THC, like other cannabis, is still illegal under federal law, but most states say it's legal. Either way, there's not much enforcement when it comes to making health claims. However, the FDA has put out a warning to all those CBD product providers that make unfounded medicinal claims. What we're able to see right now are claims that are more or less testimonials from customers. You're not allowed to make any sort of medical claims. You're not allowed to say, 'If you take this, it will help with your sleep.' There's no sort of guarantee of outcome that you're able to promise with these specific products in the hemp and CBD product place right now."
Why does the FDA have an issue with these companies making these claims if they have the science to back it up?
Sheena: "Well, what happens right now is because cannabis is a regulated industry, whereas hemp is right now working under the Farm Bill, we are seeing a bit of a discrepancy in how they're able to be handled. So specifically, when we're talking about CBD products that are available in the market, there is a large difference in what's available and where it's from. Not to mention the actual claims that are being made about what you're finding in these containers."
So often when you're purchasing something, it may say that it's a hemp seed oil, rather than a CBD oil. There's really no consistency in the types of products and the claims that they're able to make. And there really is no reputable source for us to go back to at the United States federal level for us to be able to say, 'This is what we're going against.' That's right. Buyer beware.
According to one study, about 31% of products were accurately labeled. That means that almost 69% of products online were either over or under labeling their CBD amounts. I think it gets really complicated with the FDA when we get into plant medicines. Historically, we are a country that does really look to medicine and Western medicine as 'We have a problem; there's a pill for it.' Now, when we talk about cannabis, we do recognize that there are not only flavonoids, terpenoids, cannabinoids, all these different chemicals that work in synergy together to be able to provide a specific outcome.
Again, this is really complicated when it comes down to research because when there are so many variable components and there are so many different things going on, it makes it really difficult to have a consistent product every time. And again, this is very important when it comes to having specific outcomes, because when we do pharmaceutical testing, it's a single molecule, it's a single outcome. They're looking for one thing. When it comes to cannabis and CBD, there's a variety of disorders and ways that it could be used, whether topically or ingested orally as well as there's many different types of conditions that people find benefit for that we're still finding out anecdotally day by day.
If the FDA hasn't issued any official framework for regulation, how can you as a consumer know what the heck you're getting in your CBD purchase? Reggie gave me some insights on how you can tell.
Reggie: "The first thing people should do is look at the actual product to see if you can tell where the hemp source is from. Some companies even have a QR code that you can scan and learn more. So in regulation, at least, there's a consistency there. You know, we know that there are certain amounts of safety codes, a certain amount of cleanliness involved, and there's also a certain amount of consistency. That way, if you like a product, it's going to be the same path that you get this time next, like next time as you get this time. I would say before ordering anything, check your local guidelines, check your state regulations, and make sure that you're not doing something that's going to get you in trouble."
Okay, so we know the source, but what about this pesky problem of companies mislabeling their products?
Reggie: "You want to make sure you vet your products deliberately and intentionally after you find out where the source of the hemp is from. Look to see if there's any third-party testing of the product. Specifically, you're looking for testing at an ISO 17025 compliant lab. I know, big word. You want to look to see if there's also a certificate of analysis that says that this product contains less than 0.3% of THC. That it is free of heavy metals, pesticides, and molds. And as always, you should check the FDA to look to see if there's any warnings about any products you're looking at."
There's no published literature. There's no websites outside of, again, things that are anecdotal. We really are relying on these brands to do the right thing. So when they do make mistakes, it's not just something as silly as, "Oh, I took the wrong dose, haha." This has potentially life-changing implications. You're taking the safe option of somebody consuming and understanding what they're putting in their own body. And I personally think that that's something that should be taken extremely seriously. Just as much as if an opioid pharmaceutical company were to be making a similar mistake with misdispensing.
And just because they say it's all-natural, CBD can still have some nasty side effects like injury to your liver, or it can interact with certain prescription medications like blood pressure meds. According to the FDA website, there's even the potential for toxicity to the male reproductive system. Additionally, if the products are mislabeled, you may ingest higher or lower doses of CBD and you may take more THC than you intended. Be careful now. You do not want to have to deal with any unintended psychoactive effects.
Also, if you have other questions, you should chat with your doctor who may be able to tell you what CBD product and what dose is right for you. But because there's no FDA guidance, your doctor is probably going to be making an educated guess. As the CBD market grows, so does the demand for a better system of regulation and more scientific research.
So, Alok, if a better system of regulation comes to fruition, how would you feel about prescribing CBD to your patients?
Alok: "I want to see the scientific studies and I want to see the safety data, the dosage data, and all of it. Because check this out: I can give a baby oxycodone, morphine, or other narcotics, but I can't give them CBD. I can't give them a product that by all means is safer than those narcotics. I mean, I prescribe Epidiolex to children before, and I've seen that work wonders. But we have very clear safety data on Epidiolex. We know exactly what dose produces what effect. That's what we want to see with other CBD products. Can't wait. What about you?"
My father is a Vietnam vet and he has a shoulder injury and he loves his CBD. He would rather take that than his narcotics because of the side effects. I hear stories like that. I'm telling you, I obviously stand by them if patients say it made them feel better. That's awesome. I just wish that I had more information so I could prescribe and talk about it on a broader scale to more people with more medical conditions.
In the end, one thing is certain: The CBD craze is here, it's everywhere, and it's growing. So if you have any specific stories about how a CBD product helped you, how it didn't help you, or what you encountered when you went to a dispensary (and I know a lot of stories because I look at my comments on my social media), we want to hear about them in the comments.
And that's it for us. Make sure you like and subscribe to our channel, PBS Vitals, to learn all about what's percolating in the world of wellness and health care. See you next time.
