CBD is everywhere! You may have seen it marketed as an add-in to your green smoothies or as a topical for pain-relief. I was curious so I ordered myself some CBD coffee and tried it out.
Here’s what I found…
Not all CBDs are the same. Cannabidoil (CBD) can be derived from the hemp or its cousin, the marijuana plant. Hemp-derived CBD, doesn’t produce the marijuana “high:” this comes from tetrahydrocannabinol
(THC), another compound in the marijuana plant. Hemp-derived CBD (with less than .3% THC) was FDA approved nation-wide last December and according to the Washington Post analysts, could grow into a $20 billion industry by 2025.
Touted as everything from a pain reliever, anxiety and depression reducer and sleep aid, CBD is also being used by athletes for its reputation as an anti-inflammatory and for faster recovery. “Already,” says Scott Douglas from Runner’s World Magazine, “a growing number of athletes, including many in the trail running and ultramarathon community, consider CBD a key part of their regimen.”
But take heed! While these products are technically legal, Marcel Bonn-Miller, professor at U Penn School of Medicine said of the burgeoning industry, "It really is the Wild West.” According to Peter Grinspoon, MD and contributing editor of Harvard Health Publishing, “Currently, the FDA
does not regulate the safety and purity of dietary supplements. So you cannot know for sure that the product you buy has active ingredients at the dose listed on the label. In addition, the product may contain other (unknown) elements."
My three day experiment with CBD oil was mostly a non-event. That said, I don’t suffer from chronic pain or anxiety (except maybe this past year with a son applying to college!). I did, however, find that I slept far better the days I drank the coffee (ironic?) so maybe there is something to it. That said, I’m in favor of more quality control before I jump whole-heartedly on the CBD (covered) wagon but I definitely think its going places!
Stacy Geant Hughes, Owner of Core Value Pilates, LLC, Certified Pilates Instructor, Certified Pink Ribbon Program specializing in post breast cancer surgery