CBD may be the greatest pain-relieving discovery since the invention of aspirin.
And that means the drug companies are in a panic.
You see, they’re desperate to find ways to develop CBD-based medications so they can patent and reap huge profits.
Right now, Big Pharma has a monopoly on pain relief and CBD is threatening it.
It’s a safe, non-psychoactive, naturally occurring substance that can take the place of toxic prescription painkillers and antidepressants.
Big Pharma is in a race to capitalize on the promise of cannabis and a brand-new study published in the journal Phytochemistry documents it.
A research team at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, used genomics and biochemistry to piece together how the cannabis plant makes cannflavin A and cannflavin B — the two molecules in CBD that are 30 times more powerful than aspirin in reducing inflammation.1
The researchers said they hope to develop alternatives for relief of acute and chronic pain that go beyond opioids. The molecules in cannabis target inflammation at the source, making them ideal painkillers.
They’ve licensed a patent to try to produce the molecules outside the cannabis plant.
The good news is you don’t need a prescription to enjoy the powerful pain-relieving benefits of all-natural CBD oil derived from hemp.
Reap CBD’s Benefits – Without a Prescription
The big drug makers have already come to market with synthesized drugs designed to mimic the medicinal benefits of CBD.
The problem with these patented forms of cannabis extracts is that they’re single-molecule drugs, which means they lack the essential compounds of full-spectrum plant-derived solutions.
By contrast, CBD oil uses all the compounds in the hemp plant working together — what researchers call the “Entourage Effect” — to deliver maximum health benefits.
Even as scientists try to create synthetic opioid substitutes derived from cannabis molecules, all-natural CBD has already made inroads against the opiate crisis in America, which still claims tens of thousands of lives each year.
Before the sale of CBD oil was made legal in all 50 states last year, a study published in JAMA found that every time a state legalized CBD, the number of pain prescriptions dropped dramatically.2
Another study in the European Journal of International Medicine found that elderly cancer patients who used CBD for six months cut their chronic pain in half, with 20% quitting opiates altogether.3
As my regular readers know, CBD’s health benefits extend far beyond pain relief.
Research published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and other peer-reviewed journals found that CBD oil can also treat Alzheimer’s, heart disease, anxiety and depression, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, arthritis, epilepsy and seizures, neuropathy, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and glaucoma.4
How to Get Most Benefit from CBD
Remember, CBD is non-psychoactive — it won’t get you “high.” If you’re ready to give it a try, here are some important things to consider:
- Maximize your body’s absorption of CBD. A brand-new study from the University of Minnesota, published in the journal Epilepsia, found that epilepsy patients who ate high-fat foods after taking CBD greatly increased their absorption by 4-14 times.5 Because some people report drowsiness after taking CBD, I’ve recommended taking it about 30 minutes before bedtime. To get the maximum benefits of CBD without eating a late meal, consider taking it with a teaspoon of olive, coconut or avocado oil.
- Avoid scams and buy from a reputable manufacturer. These days, CBD-infused products are everywhere — in beers and gummies, in lotions for aching joints, in oils to swallow. You may even see them at your local CVS or Walgreens. But lab tests have found many of these products contain very little or no CBD. That’s why it’s important to read the ingredient list and avoid products containing corn syrup, GMOs, trans fats or artificial additives. Don’t buy any product that hasn’t been lab tested for consistency and certified as free of mold, bacteria, pesticides and other contaminants.
- Start slow and experiment with dosages. You can take CBD oil in a variety of different ways and dosages — as a pure concentrate, tincture, vaporizer, supplement or topical cream. If you’ve never tried it before, consider taking it as a supplement in capsule form. This allows you to easily control and adjust your daily dosage. Start with a small dosage (say, 10 mg) and increase slowly until you reach the desired effect. Remember, your ideal dosage will depend on factors like your body weight and chemistry, any conditions you may be treating and the concentration of CBD in the product you’re using.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
References
1. Rea K, et al. “Biosynthesis of cannflavins A and B from Cannabis sativa L.” Phytochemistry. 2019; 164(9):162-171.
2. Bachhuber MA, et al. “Medical cannabis laws and opioid analgesic overdose mortality in the United States, 1999-2010.” JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(10):1668-1673.
3. Abuhasira R, et al. “Epidemiological characteristics, safety and efficacy of medical cannabis in the elderly.” Eur J Intern Med. 2018;49:44-50.
4. Fernández-Ruiz J, et al. “Cannabidiol for neurodegenerative disorders: important new clinical applications for this phytocannabinoid?” Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2013;75(2):323-333.
5. Birnbaum AK, et al. “Food effect on pharmacokinetics of cannabidiol oral capsules in adult patients with refractory epilepsy.” Epilepsia. 2019;60(8):1586-1592.