What is CBD and Why is it Such a Big Deal?
Editors Note: A previous version of this blog post incorrectly asserted the DEA made a scheduling action on cannabis constituent cannabidiol (CBD). Rather, the DEA change was to that of a tracking code, and has no change to the legality or illegality of cannabidiol (CBD).
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In a previous blog we went in depth about CBD and what it does. CBD is arguably the most important part of the cannabis plant, at least from a medical standpoint. It’s such a miracle worker for medical patients all over the country.
There are people who need CBD products, such as CBD vape oil and e-liquid, on a daily basis to stop seizures in their tracks and to continually prevent seizures from happening.
What is CBD?
As we mentioned in a previous in-depth cannabinoid blog post, CBD is a medically pure substance, with no long term side effects and no adverse psychoactive effect. Here’s what we discovered:
CBD is the one of the better-known cannabinoids and it has more health benefits than most other cannabinoids. For this reason, strains high in CBD are highly sought after in dispensaries across Colorado and anywhere medical marijuana is sold. Most products sold in dispensaries are enhanced with CBD because it will enhance the effects of other cannabinoids as well as provide a nice body buzz when taken internally. CBD is an excellent anti-inflammatory and has antibacterial properties, but it’s great as an appetite enhancer and pain reliever and muscle relaxer. It also prevents tumorous cells from growing and can effectively reverse the effects of cancer. CBD is also good for your blood, as it prevents cholesterol from clogging your arteries. CBD taken topically can treat eczema and psoriasis. It’s also an excellent neuroprotective cannabinoid that can ease anxiety and help you keep a level head. Like THC-V, it can lower your blood sugar levels and reduce seizures and convulsions. Last but not least, CBD is great for digestive help, as it prevents your small intestines from cramping and reducing nausea and vomiting. CBD is also used to treat Dravet syndrome, better known as Epidiolex.
The announcement from the DEA
We know that marijuana has been a Schedule 1 controlled substance for a very, very long time, but In new Federal Register notice released on December 16th, The Administration clarifies that all forms of cannabis remain illegal under federal law. In the announcement, the DEA revealed a new identification number for all cannabis extracts, which are defined as: “an extract containing one or more cannabinoids that have been derived from any plant of the genus Cannabis, other than the separated resin (whether crude or purified) obtained from the plant.”
Why this happened and why it sucks
The DEA drafted this announcement in hopes to help them keep a closer eye on cannabis scientific studies as a plant from the studies on CBD and other cannabinoid extracts.
“It’s an internal accounting mechanism for us,” DEA spokesman Russell Baer told VICE News. “The purpose is to drill down and get more accurate information about research that’s being conducted with CBD in particular.”
This is a terrible part of the process because we know that CBD occurs naturally in marijuana and has also been proven to be a very promising and highly effective treatment for patients with chronic pain and cancer, among many other ailments as we mentioned above. THC gets users high, CBD is not responsible. However, CBD is now considered a Schedule I controlled substance, up there on the danger scale with heroin, MDMA, and LSD, because there is no “proven” medical use for CBD (aside from all of those happy users and the families of children who are beating seizures and cancer) and it has a high potential for abuse, according to the DEA.
“Once again, the federal government has shown that it has not caught up with modern science,” Nate Bradley, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Association, told Westword. “It’s common knowledge that CBD has numerous medical uses, including curbing the effects of epilepsy and reducing muscle inflammation from injuries. To deny that shows a complete disregard for the facts.”
Basically, this whole development makes me sick. .
CBD, however, and the other cannabinoids, has no reason based in reality to be Schedule I, and it still is not. Cannabis is medicine. It is not dangerous, and the scheduling is a slap in the face to people trying to kick hard drugs prescribed by doctors. Hopefully, soon there will be a chance to reschedule marijuana altogether.
