CBD



Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a cannabinoid, one of at least 80 or so such compounds active in marijuana.

Many respected scientists and doctors are studying CBD for its potential medical applications, particularly in the treatment of Dravet syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy. Unfortunately, many scammers and woo-meisters also promote CBD on TV and in our shopping centers. Since marijuana was legalized in some states in the early 2010s, these scam artists have taken advantage of the publicity to prey on the gullible public. Some do it with "vaporizers" and suggestive imagery to not-so-subtly imply that it'll get you high. It won't. Others claim it can cure cancer. That remains sort-of unproven, as the National Institute of Mental Health claims it along with THC have anti-tumor properties, not necessarily meaning it can cure cancer but may help in treating it.

CBD's legality in the US is ambiguous. It isn't listed by name in Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances act, but, since it contains a small amount of THC in it, it is covered under the DEA's Schedule I. In 2018, an FDA panel recommended CBD as a very narrowly defined treatment, specifically for "seizures caused by Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndrome in patients aged 2 and older." There is a lot of interest in potential medical uses of CBD, but as of 2019, treatment of Dravet Syndrome-type epilepsy is the only FDA-approved treatment.

Numerous multi-level marketing firms have popped up, aggressively recruiting sales representatives to hawk CBD products. That alone should be enough to convince you to steer clear.