The pros and cons of CBD being sold in local stores
Cannabidiol (CBD) is slowly becoming more prevalent in local stores.
CBD is derived from the hemp plant, a cousin of the marijuana plant, that does not contain any THC and has been said by some to have a wide variety of health benefits.
Sue Jackson is a 21-year-old Oakland University senior majoring in clinical diagnostic studies (CDS) with a specialization in histotechnology. She is also an assistant manager at the Family Video in Berkley, Mich., where they have recently started selling CBD products.
She said the owner of Family Video, Charlie Hoogland, suffered a tennis injury and none of the medication he was taking helped him. After being recommended CBD by a friend, he tried it, and it helped his pain.
“Since he found the relief that he wanted, he wanted us to pass on the relief to our customers,” Jackson said.
CBD is a part of our endocannabinoid system and is a natural compound that’s good for regeneration, according to Jackson.
“Think about it as [working] like the oil for your car,” she said. “You can have gas in your car, you can have brand new tires, but if you don’t have the oil, the car’s not going to work. This is like the oil for your body.”
Nancy Jansen is an adult nurse practitioner and the director of the Graham Health Center at OU. After reviewing the literature that she feels is reliable, she said she would not recommend the use of CBD.
CBD is not yet approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA), which is one of the determining factors for Jansen.
“There’s no evidence strong enough to conclude that it helps,” she said. “Not saying it doesn’t, but it takes time for the evidence to really show.”
The only form of CBD that has been approved by the FDA is for two severe kinds of epilepsy, commonly found in children.
Jansen notes, though, that this is a well-regulated, manufactured pill, while the CBD found in local stores is not, so you don’t always know what you’re getting.
Citing Mayo Clinic, Jansen said a recent study of 84 CBD products bought online showed that more than a quarter contained less CBD than labeled, along with traces of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in 18 of the products.
Jackson, however, said the CBD sold at Family Video is reliable enough to use on yourself, children and even your pets.
“Our stuff is extremely regulated,” she said. “It comes from Oklahoma and Oklahoma has the strongest and strictest regulations.”
The CBD that Family Video sells also has third party testing on it, according to Jackson. There is a barcode on the side that you can scan that breaks down percentage-wise what’s in it.
Jansen said, however, that even things with a good manufacturing process can occasionally have issues.
“Not that it’s wrong or bad to try the products if you just want to see for yourself, but sometimes we just don’t know the longterm effects,” she said. “People need to use an abundance of caution with any of these products.”
Though there are no longterm studies, Jackson said the short-term effects are clear. She has fibromyalgia and was on 3-5 painkillers a day, but has been able to wean herself off of it because of the success she had using CBD products.
“I’m still sore, but I can carry a backpack, I can touch my toes and I can sleep,” she said.
She said that, though it’s not going to cure anything, it can help your body help itself.
