In this monthly article we devote considerable effort in the hope of keeping Pharmacists and other readers updated on what’s new with CBD. Most of the information presented is specifically targeted to the use and sale of CBD as an OTC retail product and what Pharmacists should know regarding where and how CBD is being sold and used by consumers. We do state that it is our belief that CBD is a ”drug”, with side effects and drug interactions that should be managed by Pharmacists, not sold in gas stations, vape shops and convenience stores.  It is a fact that today CBD is sold as a supplement, topical cream and a nutraceutical with claims that it can be used to treat dozens of conditions.  None of those claims are backed by the FDA nor are they supported by clinical data. That seems to be changing, especially regarding clinical data.

Many universities and well respected research institutions across the globe are engaged in pre-clinical and initial clinical studies to measure the effectiveness of CBD in treating a variety of persistent conditions.  Many of these clinical trials are aimed at determining formulations that can be used in the future to treat conditions such as Opioid Use Disorder, Alcohol Use Disorder and PTSD, to mention just a few.  The NIH and NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) are currently funding CBD research being conducted at the Geffen School of Medicine UCLA, Colorado State University, Auburn University and the University of Colorado, Denver.

The NIH and NIDA funding efforts that support these trials are aimed at the next generation of prescription medications to treat several of the previously mentioned conditions in novel ways.  Ananda Scientific, d/b/a Anano Technologies*, Inc is collaborating with UCLA researchers to evaluate using their proprietary delivery technology, Liquid Structure^TM CBD, as an Adjunctive Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder after having submitted an Investigative New Drug application to the FDA.  Caliper Foods is collaborating with Colorado State University to investigate the influence of different formulations of CBD on Liver function markers as well as the pharmacokinetics of the different formulations.

These studies are a far cry from where we started not long ago.  When most of us first became aware of CBD in the last 5-10 years, there was confusion about the basic premise of whether CBD was just medical marijuana.  Now there is funding to the tune of millions of dollars to determine how best to take advantage of CBD’s unique characteristics and actions in the body.  The innovations being studied create new potential for CBD therapeutics to address major public health issues such as the opioid epidemic and alcohol abuse and withdrawal or everyday annoyances affecting quality of life such as sleep deprivation, inflammatory conditions, anxiety, and depression.

For those of you reading this who wish to remain updated on how you can utilize CBD as one more tool to help your patients, we encourage you to visit the website clinicaltrials.gov and search CBD.

 

*Ananda Scientific d/b/a Anano Technologies is NOT affiliated in any way with Ananda Professional CBD.