The cannabis family and synthetic cannabinoids have been used for a variety of purposes for many years. Now cannabidiol (CBD) is being used medicinally as well, in the form of capsules, ointments and oils.
Unlike recreational cannabinoids, most CBD lacks tetradrocannabidiol (THC), and therefore acts differently within the body. THC leads to a “high,” while CBD does not.
Pharmacist Mike McWilliams of McWilliams Pharmacy said that, in his experience, most people don’t want THC in their CBD.
“They don’t want to test positive (for THC) on a blood or urine test,” he said, noting that there are many CBD products that do not contain THC.
Instead of looking for a high, most people using CBD are looking to relieve pain or other symptoms.
McWilliams said that the most common uses he sees are for pain relief, sleep and anxiety.
He said that some people even give it to their dogs for the same reasons.
CBD companies claim that their product can help with much more than those common uses.
“There are uses for CBD that are just claims,” McWilliams said. “It’s not a prescription, so what happens with a prescription drug is that it has an indication. So it’s a blood pressure pill, or whatever. Well, CBD, they can claim that it treats glaucoma, it’s for any pain, neuropathic pain, headaches, sleep, Parkinson’s. They can go through the gamut, but they don’t necessarily have to have proof.”
McWilliams said that because there is not necessarily scientific research behind whether or not CBD can effectively treat certain ailments, a lot of the time use is trial-and-error for each individual person.
“There’s a great deal of strength difference, so we recommend starting low and gradually bumping up if it’s not working for you,” McWilliams said.
McWilliams said that CBD’s main danger would be how it interacts with other medications.
“The response is really good,” McWilliams said. “People that have used (CBD), a large percentage get some benefit. I don’t think people are stopping their other medications, which I wouldn’t necessarily encourage, but it is an alternative for sure.”
Although CBD doesn’t always treat ailments the way it is marketed to, it is a relatively low-risk product to try out McWilliams said.
“The great thing about (CBD) is that it’s non-addictive,” he said. “And so many prescription products are, so it’s better from that standpoint. It’s a better first product.”
McWilliams said that there are certain CBD manufacturers that are more reputable than others because of their manufacturing processes. McWilliams
Pharmacy only carries brands that it knows are reputable, such as Charlotte’s Web (the original flagship CBD manufacturer), Relive Everyday and Pure Encapsulations.
“There’s tons of different manufacturers out there, and that’s an issue,” McWilliams said. “We try to stick with the ones that we know are reputable.”
The pharmacy carries CBD capsules, gummies and topical oils and ointments that contain no THC.
McWilliams said that the biggest sellers are topical oils they carry from Relive Everyday.
“A year ago, we wouldn’t have been selling any,” he said. “And now we sell quite a bit of it, so it’s a positive seller for us.”
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