Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1188968
www.AbbysHealthFood.com - Issue 40 | Page 21 CBD oil (cannabidiol) is everywhere these days. Once available only at novelty or vitamin shops, it's now also at your local grocery store, pharmacy or even yoga studio. It comes in many forms: oils that are dropped under the tongue, roll-ons that are applied to the skin and even solu ons for vaping. Some producers extract CBD oil and add it into foods to create edible products. But what is CBD oil exactly, and how does it affect cancer pa ents? Can it really treat — or even cure — cancer or relieve its symptoms? To separate fact from fic on, we spoke with Kimberson Tanco, M.D. Here's what he wants cancer pa ents to know. What is CBD oil, and how does it differ from marijuana and hemp? Marijuana and hemp are both varie es of the cannabis sa va plant. Both contain cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the two most-common, known ac ve ingredients. The main difference is that hemp has far less THC than a typical marijuana plant. And unlike THC, CBD is not a psychoac ve agent, so there's less possibility that it will cause the same mental confusion, drowsiness or hallucina ons that o en come with THC. Is there any truth to the claims that CBD oil can cure cancer? Right now, no. There is no evidence that CBD oil can cure cancer. What, if anything, can CBD oil do to alleviate the symptoms of cancer or the side effects of cancer treatment? It's hard to say if CBD oil can alleviate cancer symptoms or cancer treatment side effects, because the studies are pre y mixed and even fewer are standardized. There have been reports that cannabinoids like THC and CBD may be helpful for nausea and vomi ng and anorexia, as well as neuropathy, anxiety, depression and insomnia. Synthe c cannabinoids like dronabinol have been approved for use with chemotherapy- induced nausea and vomi ng, but have not been shown to be superior to conven onal an -nausea medica ons. Have any CBD-oil derived products been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat cancer, its symptoms, or the side effects caused by its treatment? No. Have any products using CBD-oil been approved by the FDA to treat anything? Yes. Epidiolex. It was originally approved in 2018 for the treatment of two condi ons, both related to epilepsy: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. But aside from Epidiolex, no CBD product has been approved by the FDA for any other medical purpose. What are the dangers of using CBD oil? Quality, cleanliness and regula on are the biggest concerns. All drugs and dietary supplements are regulated by the FDA. But as long as CBD oil is not marketed as a medicine or a dietary supplement, producers can get around that policy. So right now, CBD oil is very unregulated. That means it's hard to know how much CBD or THC is really in any given product. Certain hemp CBD products have been found to contain significantly less CBD or more THC than adver sed. In terms of purity, THC and CBD are both extracted from hemp and marijuana using essen ally similar processes. But trace amounts of THC could s ll end up in CBD oil. And if the THC is at a high enough concentra on, it could produce the psychoac ve effects that THC is known for. Second, if a lab produces both CBD and THC products, there can be cross-contamina on — whether it's through extrac on, handling or packaging. 9 Things to Know CBD Oil & Cancer By Cynthia Demarco