Healers globally have used cannabis for thousands of years. Now science is exploring the health benefits of cannabidiol or CBD – one of many chemical compounds in marijuana and hemp plants, but without the psychoactive “high” effect of THC.
Advocates of CBD treatments note that our bodies create their own “endogenous cannabinoids”, and we have receptors in our brains, immune systems and elsewhere. Some researchers suggest CBD may not so much attach to these receptors, as help the body use more of its own cannabinoids.
What about CBD claims and research?
A range of benefits are being claimed, but there is as yet insufficient hard scientific evidence in large long-term studies to convince many mainstream medical professionals, though a number are excited by its promise. Dr Ahmed Jamalodeen, a general medical practitioner, businessman and farmer in KwaZulu-Natal, is sufficiently positive about CBD’s potential to have begun planting hemp (cannabis sativa) commercially in 2016. “This is the future,” he said.
Prof Motlalepula Matsabisa, head of the Indigenous Knowledge Systems research program in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of the Free State, is exploring claims for cannabis and related medicinal products like CBD in relation to diabetes, hypertension, Alzheimer’s disease, pain management, and cancer.
“The CBD oil is a simple extract from the plant and is not yet standardised,” Matsabisa said. “Standardisation is important.”
What CBD research is currently underway?
Among the health conditions where the benefits of CBD are being scientifically explored internationally:
- Epilepsy: So far this has the greatest scientific backing, as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved CBD (Epidiolex) as therapy for two rare epileptic conditions characterised by seizures.
- Pain relief: A study (in the Journal of Experimental Medicine) found that CBD reduced chronic inflammation and pain in rats and mice. An oral spray (Sativex), a mix of CBD and THC, has already been approved in some countries to help relieve pain and spasticity for people with multiple sclerosis.
- Quitting smoking and addictive drugs: A pilot study (published in Addictive Behaviours) found that smokers using inhalers with CBD were helped in overcoming cravings for nicotine, and a study in Neurotherapeutics found CBD had promise for people addicted to opioids.
- Type 1 Diabetes: This form of diabetes is a result of inflammation when the immune system attacks pancreatic cells – and research (in Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation) has suggested that CBD might help reduce the inflammation.
- Acne: This too is caused partly by inflammation, linked to the over-production of sebum. A study (in the Journal of Clinical Investigation) found CBD helped control inflammation and sebum production.
- Cancer: A review (in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology) reported some evidence of CBD having potential as an accompaniment to standard cancer treatments, helping to suppress the growth of cancer cells and promote their destruction.
Where does CANSA stand on CBD use and benefits?
However, they called for further research. The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) notes that: “Cannabinoids have been shown to produce pharmacologic effects, particularly in the central nervous system and the immune system and may have benefits in the treatment of cancer-related side effects,” says CANSA health specialist Professor Michael Herbst. “CANSA is of the opinion that at present there are sufficient medicines available in South Africa for the effective treatment of nausea, vomiting and other conditions related to cancer, including end-of-life care.”