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CBD sales are rising, but evidence is still slim that the cannabis-derived product makes a difference for anxiety or pain
Hundreds of downtown products – including gummies – are now on the market. Frederic J. Brown via Getty Images Many people have looked at cannabis and its derivatives while looking for pandemic relief, and CBD is one of the most commonly available. It is also legal. You can buy oils, tinctures, capsules, gums, cosmetics and even toilet paper that contains the molecule. Martha Stewart has a range of downtown products, and some companies market downtown products for holiday gifts. And you can even buy CBD products for your pet. An investment bank has estimated that this market will be worth US billion by 2025, although many of the products that allegedly contain downtown are unlikely to contain downtown. And if they do, the quantity is often much less than the quantity indicated on the product bottle or box. The CBD craze began in 2018, after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex, the first drug to contain downtown, used to treat two rare and serious types of childhood epilepsy. Since the approval, research on the possible medical applications of CBD has increased sharply. But while the advertisements boasting the benefits are ubiquitous, there are still many things our scientists do not know, including whether CBD can actually reduce stress and anxiety. That said, as a neuroscientist who investigates anxiety disorders in children and the neurobiology of stress and anxiety, I am encouraged by some of the preliminary research. Pre-clinical studies show, for example, that downtown can reduce fear and anxiety-related behavior in mice. Neuroimaging studies in humans show that downtown activity in the amygdala and anterior cingular cortex, brain regions associated with stress and anxiety, may decrease. More research needs to take place before we can be sure. Early evidence suggests that CBD may help with inflammation and some arthritic conditions. Smith Collection / Gado via Getty Images What is SSK? CBD is just one of more than 100 cannabinoids and other molecules found in the marijuana plant (Cannabis Sativa). Cannabinoids are known as signaling molecules: they interact with other molecules in the body, including the brain. For example, THC, the most common cannabinoid of the plant, interacts with brain receptors to cause the “high” feeling. Cannabinoids can also affect the immune system; it can help relieve inflammation, arthritic conditions and neuropathic pain. CBD, the second most abundant cannabinoid of the plant, does not contain THC and therefore has no psychoactive effects. There is no highlight. CBD also does not bind strongly to typical cannabinoid receptors. Instead, it interacts with other signaling molecules in the brain and throughout the body. For example, CBD can act on the serotonin system, particularly serotonin 5-HT1A receptors, which are involved in signaling pathways that regulate pain, depression, and anxiety. Evidence suggests that downtown may interact with the body’s own natural cannabinoid system – the endocannabinoid system – to increase the levels of anandamide, the ‘bliss’, the natural release of THC from our body, which may be the way people think and feel, change. And CBD can act with the body’s natural opioid system. This will explain some of the reported pain relieving properties. With all these potential consequences, we still do not understand how downtown works to relieve pain, anxiety, inflammation and even epilepsy, the only disease for which a drug containing downtown has been approved by the FDA. In medicine, to see if something works, a random placebo-controlled trial is the gold standard. Several clinical trials are underway to see if CBD works for anxiety, COVID-19-induced stress, and for the treatment of anxiety disorders – worldwide, the most common mental disorder. There are different types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, which are associated with excessive worries about everyday life, and social anxiety disorder, which includes intense fear around social interactions. The symptoms of anxiety can also vary, including tense, irritated or jumping, and also feel your heart running, sweating, headaches, stomach aches and insomnia. Recent studies show that COVID-19 has exacerbated some existing mental health problems. And even for people without a history of mental health problems, a diagnosis of COVID-19 increases the risk of anxiety and other psychiatric disorders. Preliminary and recent studies on the potential that CBD can reduce stress and anxiety are promising. For example, two small feasibility studies tested whether CBD reduces anxiety in individuals with social anxiety disorder and in healthy volunteers. A speaker test was simulated; those who gave CBD had lower anxiety compared to those who received a placebo (sugar pill). But we have to wait for the results of larger clinical trials to know if the city center works, and under what conditions. Dozens of marijuana or downtown food products are now available. Lauri Patterson via Getty Images Popularity surpasses science In November, voters in four states – Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota – voted to join 11 other states to legalize cannabis use in the US. But the increase in legalization and decriminalization of cannabinoids, along with their widespread popularity, significantly outperforms science. There is more research today on the potential medical applications of cannabinoids than ever before – including 6 million from the National Institutes of Health, along with one million on downtown in the year 2020. This is still a relatively new area of medical research. SSK was discovered in 1940; the body’s own endocannabinoid system was only discovered in 1992. This is shocking, as people have been using cannabis and cannabis products for thousands of years. Evidence suggests that medical use of cannabis dates back to ancient times, including about 2700 BC, when Emperor Shen Nung – known as the father of Chinese medicine – investigated the use of cannabis to treat more than 100 different ailments, including gout, rheumatism and malaria. But today, doctors, nurses, and other medical providers are generally not well prepared to answer patients’ questions about potential risks, benefits, and applications. This may be because cannabis and CBD are not part of standard medical training. For example, a survey in 2017 among medical residents and fellow human beings in St. Louis found that 84.9% reported receiving no medical training on cannabis. Government restrictions also contribute to the delay. Cannabis is still illegal at the federal level. In 2016, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration confirmed its classification of cannabis as a Schedule I drug. This puts it in the same category as deadly and addictive drugs: opioids (such as heroin and oxycodone). This is in stark contrast to research showing that cannabis is relatively safe and has a low potential for abuse. But because of this federal classification, scientific and medical study of cannabis is strictly regulated. Researchers need a special license from the DEA to study it. Physicians may also feel poorly trained because more and higher quality research is needed before making their patients recommendations. [Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.] It is also difficult to investigate the CBD and other cannabis derivatives. CBD products are not currently regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. This means that CBD is not considered a nutritional supplement, and that the marketed CBD products cannot make any health-related claims. It also means that there is no oversight of what exists in downtown products, and therefore it is often mislabeled. It creates a “Wild West” environment for consumers. So should you try CBD for stress and anxiety? The bottom line: it’s too early to know. These CBD gums can only be an expensive placebo. In the meantime, turn to evidence-based treatments for stress and anxiety relief, such as good old-fashioned exercise. This article was published from The Conversation, a non-profit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Hilary A. Marusak, Wayne State University. Read more: downtown: rising star or popular fad? No, downtown is not a miracle molecule that can cure coronavirus, just as it will not cure many other diseases that its proponents claim. Cannabis: misinformation about downtown can be life threatening. Dr. Marusak was supported in part by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health.