Products containing THC have been highly controversial for many years. Holistic health experts and lawmakers have raised a number of important questions, such as:
- What are the health benefits of THC?
- What states are certain types of products containing THC allowed?
- Are THC products prohibited under federal law?
- What restrictions should be placed on THC products?
A new line of products containing CBD oils have complicated the discussion. It can be difficult for patients to learn where they can purchase the best CBD oil containing products.
Fortunately, lawmakers are taking a more favorable view of CBD, since they have recently learned about many of the benefits. Last month, Idaho State Representative Dorothy Moon, a Republican from Stanley, introduced a bill to legalize CBD oil. A more limited bill was vetoed by Gov. Butch Otter in 2015, so it is difficult to predict the fate of this bill. However, the movement to legalize CBD in Idaho has growing support.
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The Indiana Senate passed a bill the same week.
“This doesn’t appear to be harmful, and the evidence indicates that you can’t overdose on it,” said Sen. Michael Young, R-Indianapolis, one of the primary advocates for the bill. “But it has a great deal of scientific benefits to resolve a lot of people’s problems.”
What is the Legal Status of CBD Oils?
Since CBD oils contain THC, they are legally classified as hemp products. Products with less than a 0.3% composition of THC are legally considered hemp instead of cannabis, which means they are not as heavily regulated under federal or state law.
Currently 34 states have laws allowing and regulating CBD oils. Slightly over two thirds of these states regulate the production of CBD products as well as consumption.
However, laws are fairly strict in many of these jurisdictions. Some lawmakers have only recently started proposing more lenient policies on CBD use for health applications.
Health Benefits of CBD Oils
Here are some of the reasons they have taken a more liberal view on the topic.
Anti-inflammatory properties
In 2012, The Journal of Experimental Medicine published a study highlighting the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD oils. The study showed that the THC in these oils reduced pain and inflammation in rodents. The rodents didn’t develop a tolerance to the oils the same way they did with traditional anti-inflammatory medications.
This wasn’t the only study that indicated CBD was effective for treating inflammation and chronic pain. A few years earlier, a study from Canada found that CBD oils were highly effective for treating chronic pain for patient suffering from multiple sclerosis.
This can create a new class of pain and inflammation medications. This will be a huge benefit for people that have developed a tolerance to traditional pain medications, which is common for patients with multiple sclerosis and other conditions that cause chronic pain.
Anti-anxiety benefits
Research on the relationship between cannabis and anxiety has yielded mixed results. Some studies indicate that certain cannabis treatments may alleviate the symptoms of anxiety, while other research has indicated that it worsens them.
This has created a prejudiced perception on CBD. It is important to remember that the properties of CBD are very different from cannabis. They need to be analyzed separately.
Preliminary research on the link between anxiety and CBD is limited. However, so far it indicates that CBD can be very helpful for treating anxiety problems. This should be considered even for patients that have found cannabis contributes to their anxiety disorders.
Cancer prevention
Some research has shown that CBD has protective enzymes against certain types of cancer. Patients that are genetically predisposed to certain types of cancer should consider this. After consulting with their doctor, they may find that it is a recommended treatment.
