CBD Myths and Misconceptions Part 2
Cannabidiol (CBD) myths are quite common due to media and social platforms spreading anecdotal or unconfirmed, nonscientific information regarding this cannabinoid. Many media sites are touting CBD as a miracle drug that cures most of what ails you. The following are some more of the common myths and facts regarding this prized cannabinoid. (Scroll down our feed for Part I)
CBD doesn’t interact with other medications
This myth can potentially cause serious issues for people choosing to use CBD while also maintaining a regimen of prescribed pharmaceuticals. Cannabidiol interacts with the cytochrome P450, “..a large family of non-specific enzymes that are involved in breaking down an estimated 60-80 percent of all pharmaceuticals. Cytochrome P450 enzymes may be inhibited or amplified by CBD, THC and other plant cannabinoids, thereby reducing or prolonging the activity of another drug.” This may cause negative interactions by increasing the potency of medications, or negating the desired effects.
It is important that anyone choosing to consume CBD, recreationally or medically, discusses it with their health care provider or pharmacist. It is also important that people using CBD get their product from a legal, regulated source. In the legal space, licenced producers and processors are required to list all ingredients and cannabinoid content, and report their method of processing and extraction. In the illegal space, nothing is regulated. You have no guarantee the product contains the amount of CBD that it reports, nor the ingredients within the container. Studies in multiple countries have shown that black market CBD products contain far less CBD than reported, some containing none at all, while charging exorbitant prices.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2661569
https://www.projectcbd.org/medicine/cbd-drug-interactions-what-you-need-know
More CBD is better
As with any psychoactive substance there is a belief that ‘more is better.’ However, there is a peak effectiveness for any cannabinoid, including CBD and THC, where it no longer adds to the perceived effects. After this point, using any more of the product becomes, essentially, wasteful. During a consultation, or when discussing dosing levels with one of our sales representatives, the process of ‘start low, go slow’ is mentioned. This is not only a way to prevent an overdose of cannabis, but also helps establish the amount of cannabis, or CBD product, required to reach the desired effects. The term for this is ‘microdosing.’ Once consumers find the ‘sweet spot’, they can maintain that dosage level until they no longer feel the effects that they want. At that point they may choose to increase their dosage level, or take what is called a ‘tolerance break’ to reestablish the previous dosage level.
https://www.projectcbd.org/how-to/cbd-dosage-guide
CBD is going to make me feel amazing!
Everyone’s cannabis experience is unique. While others may share their experience with CBD as a positive one, there is always the possibility that CBD may not be the product for you. What’s important to note is, while THC’s effects are easily perceived and can be overwhelming, CBD’s effects can be particularly underwhelming for those not familiar with how CBD works. The key perception, reported by medical users, is what they don’t feel, such as anxiety or pain. For recreational users this is interpreted as relaxing and calming effects from using CBD. https://www.projectcbd.org/
There are many more myths about CBD out there, especially in the medical community, that we are restricted from discussing due to being a recreational retailer of cannabis. It is imperative that the factual, scientific benefits of CBD do not get mixed up with the pseudoscientific snake oil information out there. So, if you are interested in learning more about the safe use of CBD and other cannabis products, book a consultation:
https://triplejscannaspace.ca/memberships-consultations
Written by: Jeremy Jones