Clearing The Air On CBD

Some people who have tried cbd say it has helped their arthritis symptoms. Others say it hasn’t. What does the science say? So far, very little, but preliminary findings show promise.

- Marianne Wait

The times, they are a-changin'. Not long ago, many people who used cannabis products to treat their pain only whispered about it, if they discussed it at all. Today, not only is medical cannabis legal in a growing number of states but CBD – an active compound (or chemical) in cannabis that does not get you high – is cropping up in a dizzying assortment of products claiming a variety of health benefits. The ubiquity of and buzz around CBD products, and near-silence from many in the medical community have people clamoring for reliable information.

Patients of all ages seeking relief from chronic pain, anxiety, and insomnia are flocking to products containing CBD, which has become a billion-dollar industry. In a recent Arthritis Foundation survey of almost 2,700 members,29% of respondents said they currently use CBD, 17% said they had used it in the past and 33% said they are considering trying it. That’s up from the 22%of respondents who told the Foundation two years ago that they’d tried CBD.“I can’t go anywhere without being asked about CBD,” says Daniel Clauw, MD, professor of anesthesiology, medicine (rheumatology) and psychiatry and director of the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “It seems that almost everyone with chronic pain is contemplating trying it just because of the fact that a friend or neighbor or someone they know tried it and had fairly impressive results.”