Cannabidiol（CBD）Goes Mainstream

CBD is everywhere lately — in skincare, coffee andeven pet treats. But how many do you know about it when you use it?

What’s CBD?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurringcompound found in the resinous flower of cannabis, a plant with a rich history asa medicine going back thousands of years. Today the therapeutic propertiesof CBD are being tested and confirmed by scientists and doctorsaround the world. A safe, non-addictive substance, CBD is one ofmore than a hundred “phytocannabinoids,” which are unique to cannabis and endowthe plant with its robust therapeutic profile.

Cannabidiol is the generic name ofthe drug and its INN.As of 2018, preliminary clinicalresearch on cannabidiol included studies of anxiety, cognition, movement disorders, and pain.

CBD isclosely related to another important medicinally active phytocannabinoid:tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the compound that causes the high that cannabis isfamous for. THC is the principal psychoactive constituentof cannabis. These are the two components of cannabis that have been moststudied by scientists,

THC and CBD are both cannabinoids derived from thecannabis plant, As members of the same family, hemp and marijuana share manyvisual similarities, but at a chemical level, the two plants have vastlydifferent amounts of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),the intoxicating compound found in Cannabis.

What’s the difference and benefits of CBD comparedto THC?

Both CBD and THC have significanttherapeutic attributes. But unlike THC, CBD does not make aperson feel “stoned” or intoxicated. That’s because CBD and THC actin different ways on different receptors in the brain and body.

CBD can actually lessen or neutralize thepsychoactive effects of THC, depending on how much of each compound isconsumed. Many people want the health benefits of cannabis without the high –or with less of a high.

The fact that CBD is therapeuticallypotent as well as non-intoxicating, and easy to take as a CBD oil,makes it an appealing treatment option for those who are cautious about tryingcannabis for the first time.

What’s the medical uses of CBD?

◆Epilepsy

Anorally administered cannabidiol solution (brand name Epidiolex) was approved bythe US Food and Drug Administration in June 2018 as a treatment for two rareforms of childhood epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravetsyndrome

How does CBD works?

Cannabidiol canbe taken into the body in multiple ways,including by inhalation of cannabis smoke or vapor, as an aerosol spray intothe cheek, and by mouth. It may be supplied as CBDoil containing only CBD as the active ingredient (no added tetrahydrocannabinol [THC] or terpenes),a full-plant CBD-dominant hemp extract oil, capsules, dried cannabis, or as aprescription liquid solution.

◆Anti-AnxietyProperties

Inboth animal and human trials, CBD has shown substantial evidence that it couldbe a powerful anti-anxiety therapy. In particular, it seems to have benefit forpeople suffering from Social Anxiety disorders. In a relatively recent placebo-controlledstudy published in 2010, the data concluded that CBDsignificantly reduced subjective anxiety.

◆StimulatesNeurogenesis

Oncein adulthood, there are only two areas of the brain that continue to developnew neurons: the subventricular zone (relevant to the central nervous system)and the subgranular zone (relevant to the hippocampus area). Cannabidiol hasshown promise for triggering neurogenesis withinthe hippocampus area, something which could have enormous ramifications for thetreatment of psychological disorders like depression. In brain imaging, peoplesuffering from depression typically have much smaller hippocampus regions thantheir peers. Through neurogenesis in the hippocampus region, CBD seems tohave antidepressant-like effects.

◆Anti-Inflammatory

Oneof the most studied properties of CBD oil, is its powerful anti-inflammatorycharacteristics. Inflammation is theorized to be the underlying basis for manychallenging diseases, including autoimmune disorders, arthritis, Alzheimerdisease, hypertension, and even type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Through its interaction withand inhibitory effects on human endocannabinoid receptors, CBD seems to play apivotal role in reducing inflammation at a cellular level.

◆Blood Pressure Control

Exploratorystudies are underway examining if CBD could be an effective and all natural wayto control blood pressure. In a recent publication,from the summer of 2017, researchers discovered that “that acuteadministration of CBD reduces resting blood pressure and the blood pressureincrease to stress in humans, associated with increased heart rate.” In particular, theresearch seems to point to the ability of CBD oil on vasorelaxation, or thetension in the walls of blood vessels.

◆Anti-Tumour

Finally,alongside other famous cannabinoids, CBD is proven to be a capable anti-cancer agent,at least in the initial laboratory studies. There is more and more researchpointing to the potential of CBD to inhibit cancer cell growth, metastasis, andmigration. It has been evidenced in more than one type of cancer cell as well,including colon, breast, brain, bladder, lung and many others.

Withthe broad spectrum of study, CBD oil as a therapeutic alternative shows clearpromise. Every day more evidence is published, demonstrating the underlyingways through which CBD oil can work within the human endocannabinoid system topromote total health and wellness.

What’smore, CBD and THC interact with our bodies in a variety of ways.One of the main ways they impact us is by mimicking and augmenting the effectsof the compounds in our bodies called “endogenous cannabinoids” – so namedbecause of their similarity to the compounds found in the cannabis plant.

The discovery of the endocannabinoidsystem has significantly advanced our understanding of healthand disease. It has major implications for nearly every area of medical scienceand helps to explain how and why CBD and THC are suchversatile compounds – and why cannabis is such a widely consumed mood-alteringplant.

When is CBD legal and when isn’tit?

The short answer: Yes, CBD is legal, but… under very specific conditions.but in general, one of the determining factors is whether the CBD isderived from hemp or marijuana.

Inthe United States, when derived from marijuana it is a controlled substanceunder the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). However, when CBD is derived from hemp orsome other lawful source it is not a controlled substance.

Is Hemp Derived CBD Legal?
Quick answer: Hemp-derived CBD is legal as long as it is producedwithin the regulations defined by the law.According to the followingregulations set forth in the new farm bill:

◆The hemp mustcontain less than 0.3% THC

◆The hemp mustadhere to the shared state-federal regulations

◆The hemp mustbe grown by a properly licensed grower

Is Marijuana-DerivedCBD Legal?
While hemp-derived CBD is federally as long as it adheresto the law, marijuana-derived CBD is a bit more complicated because it isderived from a plant that is illegal.

◆States Where Marijuana-DerivedCBD is Legal for Recreational Use

As of 2019, there are 10 States where Cannabis, includingboth marijuana and hemp, are completely legal for recreational and medicinaluse. These states are Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts,Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington.

◆States Where Marijuana-DerivedCBD is Legal for Medicinal Use
As of 2019, there are a total of 47 states (including the8 states mentioned above) where marijuana-derived CBD is legal for medicinalusage. Which including:

Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado,Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland,Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey,New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,Vermont, Washington and West Virginia.

◆States Where Marijuana-DerivedCBD is Illegal

There are currently three states that have taken a strongstance against CBD in the US: Idaho, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

Finally are two examples for your reference:

① A CNN programthat featured Charlotte’s Web cannabis in2013 brought increased attention to the use of CBD in the treatment of seizuredisorders. Since then, 16 states have passed laws to allow the use of CBDproducts with a doctor’s recommendation (instead of a prescription) fortreatment of certain medical conditions. This is in addition to the 30 states thathave passed comprehensive medical cannabis laws, which allow for the use ofcannabis products with no restrictions on THC content. Of these 30 states,eight have legalized the use and sale of cannabis products without requirementfor a doctor’s recommendation.

② On June 25, 2018,the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced its first-everapproval of a marijuana-derived pharmaceutical drug. Epidiolex (cannabidiolor CBD) was approved for the treatment of two rare, pediatric seizuredisorders, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. On September 27,2018, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced its scheduling ofEpidiolex – and future drug products containing CBD derived frommarijuana with no more than 0.1 percent tetrahydrocannabinols – in Schedule V of the ControlledSubstances Act (CSA). These events represent historical milestones in thejourney of Cannabis from a source of textiles and medicines in the earlynineteenth century to an illicit drug and now an FDA-approved drug.

What’s themarket prospect of CBD?

According to a new report by Brightfield Group, hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) is projectedto be a billion-dollar market in just three years, the data company estimatesthat hemp CBD sales have already hit $170 million in 2016 and a 55% compoundannual growth rate over the next five years will cause the market to crack thebillion-dollar mark.

With projected retail salesof CBD products -hemp, marijuana and pharmaceutical – as high as $1.9billion by 2020, CBD is poised to become the darling of the medical Cannabis movement.

As the demand of CBD increases inthe market, Effepharm Ltd has found the bright market prospect, and now thedevelopment goes smooth,which will be one of our key ingredients next.

As one-stop shop provider and adifferentiator to lower-cost alternatives. Effepharm are continuouslyconcentrating on novel ingredients development, custom development and settingup international strategic relationship.

And we are also looking forpartners about this ingredient. If you have any interest, pls feel free tocontact us at any time.

For more details about ourcompany, pls see our website: http://www.effepharm.com/en/index.aspx

Reference:

http://iheartdrops.com/cbd-benefits/cbd-benefits-research-into-cannabidiol-cbd-as-an-alternative-therapy/

https://www.projectcbd.org/cbd-101/what-is-cbd

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabidiol

https://medium.com/cbd-origin/is-cbd-legal-legal-status-of-cbd-2018-d1b4a0ed42df

https://www.forbes.com/sites/debraborchardt/2017/08/23/hemp-cannabis-product-sales-projected-to-hit-a-billion-dollars-in-3-years/#49c10ea5474c