Abstract
Cannabis contains more than one hundred and twenty distinct chemical compounds known collectively as cannabinoids. One of those canabinoids is cannabidol, commonly abbreviated and referred to as CBD. While CBD has no psychoactive properties, it may be beneficial for treating specific medical conditions including chronic pain. CBD can be used orally or topically. In its topical form, CBD is typically added to a carrier oil. Topical applications of CBD oils include the management of pain due to arthritis and inflammation. Research continues to mount suggesting the additional benefits of oral administration of CBD to treat epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and anxiety. Because CBD does not produce known side effects, euphoric or otherwise, it has also garnered attention for its relative safety especially vis-a-vis its sister compounds found in cannabis. CBD also presents tremendous opportunities for market-related growth in the budding international cannabis industry.

Introduction

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of the many unique chemical compounds found in cannabis or hemp. Unlike its more famous cousin tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD has no psychoactive properties. While CBD may seem to take the fun out of cannabis, the compound has recently been isolated, tested, and marketed on its own as a substance that may be useful for treating various medical conditions. In fact, its lack of psychoactive properties makes it a far more versatile substance than THC and possibly safer to use without any known side effects. Before it can be touted as a miracle drug, though, CBD needs to continue undergoing systematic clinical trials on human subjects. A progressive legal environment and the promise of economic gain from promoting CBD products on the market have together ensured ongoing and fruitful research into its health and therapeutic benefits.

The Legal Environment

Cannabis is legal for medical or recreational purposes in dozens of states and counting, as well as being legal for recreational use across the border in Canada. The increased liberality of cannabis laws has encouraged CBD research and product development. Many states, including a handful of those without legalized recreational cannabis, do tacitly allow for the sale of CBD in spite of its nebulous legal status at the federal level (Rath, n.d.). Currently, only Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming have laws that specifically mention CBD (Thompson, 2018). More robust and transparent laws would ensure that CBD products would be safe and produced with standardized doses. Products containing CBD often have false or misleading labels due to a lack of regulation on the market. This means consumers may not receive the dosage actually printed on the package and could even be taking products containing THC in them (Thompson, 2018).

The FDA has specifically approved only the pharmaceutical brand of CBD-containing medication Epidiolex. In fact, the only medical condition for which Epidiolex can be legally prescribed throughout the United States is for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndrome (DS). Both LGS and DS are forms of childhood epilepsy (Johnson, 2018). Other than for these rare conditions, the FDA has not yet approved CBD at all and the supplement remains technically illegal except in states with legal medical or recreational marijuana.

However, CBD is typically derived from hemp and not its narcotic cousin cannabis. Since hemp itself does not contain THC, it is likely that CBD will become legal nationally before long. A pending revision to the national Farm Bill would in fact legalize hemp and CBD (Rath, n.d.). Until then, the legal status of CBD products varies from state to state. States with legal (medical or recreational) cannabis are by far the easiest—and of course the safest—places to purchase CBD products either in person or online. 

Forms of CBD and Types of Products on the Market

CBD has been successfully isolated and the extract can be used in an infinite variety of products. The most common among them include capsules, pills, tinctures/extracts, infusions (such as tea), topical creams, ointments, gels, or oils, and also...…CBD impacts inflammation via its interaction with the ECS. Also, CBD could interact with compounds that enhance or regulate the immune system response or regulate hormones or neurochemicals that regulate the sleep function.

Conclusion

The skeptical may be suspicious of the craze surrounding CBD but CBD is more than just a fad. Studied in controlled clinical trials on animal and human subjects, CBD has already proved promising as a low-risk alternative to other medications. While the hype may make some people suspicious, CBD does have numerous potential benefits for treating several different physical and mental health conditions. With no addictive properties or serious side effects, CBD promises to alleviate discomfort and pain. CBD is not a miracle cure, but it can make life a lot easier.