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Prevention Action Alliance
When Junk Science Meets Junk Marketing
Products made from cannabidiol (CBD) have hit grocery stores, gas
stations, supplement stores, and even pharmacies. CBD products are
being sold under a variety of banners and for a huge number of
conditions.
With one exception, products containing CBD have not had their claims
independently verified. To date, the FDA has approved Epidiolex, which
contains CBD, for treating seizures associated with two
diseases—Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet Syndrome. Both are
conditions that cause childhood seizures.
There are also scattered studies that CBD may be effective for treating
Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, arthritis, insomnia, and maybe even
anxiety. There is no clinical evidence that CBD can treat or prevent
cancer, but that hasn’t stopped unscrupulous companies from selling CBD
to sick and desperate people.
The FDA does send warning letters to companies that claim their CBD
products can treat diseases, and the agency remains “concerned at the
proliferation of products asserting to contain CBD that are marketed
for therapeutic or medical uses although they have not been approved by
the FDA. …Selling unapproved products with unsubstantiated therapeutic
claims is not only a violation of the law, but also can put patients at
risk, as these products have not been proven to be safe or effective.”
As the FDA goes on to point out, these products haven’t been reviewed
to determine their effectiveness, an appropriate dose, possible drug
interactions, and whether they may have dangerous side effects or other
safety concerns.
On the subject of side effects, many advertisements for CBD are quick
to claim that the product has no side effects. This is a lie. Using CBD
products can cause dry mouth, diarrhea, reduced appetite, drowsiness,
and fatigue, according to Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic also reported
that more than a quarter of tested CBD products had less CBD than
labeled and THC was found in many of them.
Additionally, Epidiolex’s warning label contains a warning about
possible, elevated liver enzymes as a result of using the product. It
also lists insomnia as a common side effect of use.
Another issue that may arise from CBD use isn’t medical but legal.
Frequent use may result in a positive drug test for marijuana use. CBD
products can contain small amounts of THC, the psychoactive ingredient
in marijuana. As such, frequent use of a CBD product might be able to
trigger a positive drug test for marijuana usage.
The CBD boom is, as one article put it, ahead of the science. It’s a
stark reminder that medicinal science, not a profit motive, should
drive decisions about whether a medical product can be marketed. It’s
worth noting that the FDA was created in part to prevent “patent
medicine,” advertising that refers to a miraculous new cure by patent
number, which has made a resurgence with CBD. Some ads even literally
refer to patent numbers.
Make no mistake, this is a new product, but these are old, shameful
tactics. The FDA should assert its authority—and its responsibility—to
ensure that products marketed to treat various conditions can actually
treat those conditions.
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