ATLANTA – The Arthritis Foundation is providing recommendations for those seeking to alleviate joint pain with CBD.
With Food and Drug Administration regulations still at least months away, identifying reliable information about proper CBD usage can be difficult. The Arthritis Foundation is now the first major patient-focused organization to issue recommendations for CBD and seems to be doing so because of the cannabinoid’s soaring popularity.
“It was important to acknowledge the public’s interest, and put out some guidelines on the state of the science,” Kevin Boehnke, a research investigator who works at the University of Michigan and helped develop the guidelines said according to NBC News.
According to the foundation, this does not mean that patients should stop taking their current medications for arthritis, but clearly, many out there are curious about CBD’s potential to alleviate pain.
“CBD may help with arthritis-related symptoms, such as pain, insomnia, and anxiety, but there have been no rigorous clinical studies in people with arthritis to confirm this,” the Arthritis Foundation said in a release.
The Arthritis Foundation polled approximately 2600 patients and found that 80 percent have tried, are currently using, or are curious about CBD. The foundation is seeking hard data from the science community on CBD, which thankfully, should be on the way.
Boehnke also suggests low dose THC if CBD alone is not yielding results for patients dealing with pain. However, above all, he urges caution when trying either cannabinoid. “People have to do their homework. It’s a wild west situation. Studies have shown the amount of CBD inside a product doesn’t always match up with what’s on the label,” he said.
Dr. Pieter Cohen studies drug ingredients at Harvard Medical School and the Cambridge Health Alliance. He feels the time of clear regulations on CBD is long overdue.
“Before CBD supplements are recommended, we need to have a marketplace where the label actually reflects what’s inside them, and we know that the dose is safe,” Cohen said. “We don’t have any of that in place right now.”
The Arthritis Foundation is recommending sprays and tinctures over vaping CBD. Currently, there are investigations into CBD Vape products containing synthetic cannabinoids similar to what was found in products such as K2 Spice. Patients will want to avoid buying any products that are not scrutinized and tested.
“Buy from a reputable company that has each batch tested for purity, potency, and safety by an independent laboratory and provides a certificate of analysis,” the Arthritis Foundation said.
