Official CBD Discussion Thread

[Tranquility]

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190930131115.htm

Researchers at Western University have shown for the first time the molecular mechanisms at work that cause cannabidiol, or CBD, to block the psychiatric side-effects caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis.

It has been previously shown that strains of cannabis with high levels of THC and low levels of CBD can cause increased psychiatric effects, including paranoia, anxiety and addictive-behaviours, but why that was occurring was not fully understood.

Steven Laviolette, PhD, and his research team used rats to investigate the role of a molecule in the brain's hippocampus called extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) which triggers the neuropsychiatric effects of THC.

"For years we have known that strains of cannabis high in THC and low in CBD were more likely to cause psychiatric side-effects," said Laviolette, a professor at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. "Our findings identify for the first time the molecular mechanisms by which CBD may actually block these THC-related side-effects."

The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience demonstrates that rats that were given THC had higher levels of activated ERK, showed more anxiety behaviours and were more sensitive to fear-based learning. Rats that were given both CBD and THC acted like the control rats: they had normal levels of activated ERK, less anxiety behaviours, and were less sensitive to fear-based learning.

Based on these results, the research team proposes that CBD blocks the ability of THC to overstimulate the ERK pathway in the hippocampus and thus prevent its negative side-effects.

"Our findings have important implications for prescribing cannabis and long-term cannabis use. For example, for individuals more prone to cannabis-related side-effects, it is critical to limit use to strains with high CBD and low THC content," said Laviolette. "More importantly, this discovery opens up a new molecular frontier for developing more effective and safer THC formulations."

PhD Candidate and Vanier Scholar Roger Hudson, lead author on the study, says another interesting finding was that CBD alone had no effect on the ERK pathway. "CBD by itself had no effect," he said. "However, by co-administering CBD and THC, we completely reversed the direction of the change on a molecular level. CBD was also able to reverse the anxiety-like behaviour and addictive-like behaviour caused by the THC."

Laviolette says they will be following up these studies by continuing to identify the specific features of this molecular mechanism. The research team will examine ways to formulate THC with fewer side effects and to improve the efficacy of CBD-derived therapies.
​

 

[C No Ego]

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190930131115.htm

Researchers at Western University have shown for the first time the molecular mechanisms at work that cause cannabidiol, or CBD, to block the psychiatric side-effects caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis.

It has been previously shown that strains of cannabis with high levels of THC and low levels of CBD can cause increased psychiatric effects, including paranoia, anxiety and addictive-behaviours, but why that was occurring was not fully understood.

Steven Laviolette, PhD, and his research team used rats to investigate the role of a molecule in the brain's hippocampus called extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) which triggers the neuropsychiatric effects of THC.

"For years we have known that strains of cannabis high in THC and low in CBD were more likely to cause psychiatric side-effects," said Laviolette, a professor at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. "Our findings identify for the first time the molecular mechanisms by which CBD may actually block these THC-related side-effects."

The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience demonstrates that rats that were given THC had higher levels of activated ERK, showed more anxiety behaviours and were more sensitive to fear-based learning. Rats that were given both CBD and THC acted like the control rats: they had normal levels of activated ERK, less anxiety behaviours, and were less sensitive to fear-based learning.

Based on these results, the research team proposes that CBD blocks the ability of THC to overstimulate the ERK pathway in the hippocampus and thus prevent its negative side-effects.

"Our findings have important implications for prescribing cannabis and long-term cannabis use. For example, for individuals more prone to cannabis-related side-effects, it is critical to limit use to strains with high CBD and low THC content," said Laviolette. "More importantly, this discovery opens up a new molecular frontier for developing more effective and safer THC formulations."

PhD Candidate and Vanier Scholar Roger Hudson, lead author on the study, says another interesting finding was that CBD alone had no effect on the ERK pathway. "CBD by itself had no effect," he said. "However, by co-administering CBD and THC, we completely reversed the direction of the change on a molecular level. CBD was also able to reverse the anxiety-like behaviour and addictive-like behaviour caused by the THC."

Laviolette says they will be following up these studies by continuing to identify the specific features of this molecular mechanism. The research team will examine ways to formulate THC with fewer side effects and to improve the efficacy of CBD-derived therapies.
​

that is one way CBD does... CBD is also an antagonist agent expressing @ cannabinoid type 2 receptors... this antagonist action increases intracellular enzymes that degrade lipids. MAGL / DAGL and FAAH weakly . these are enzymes in the immune system cells that degrade 2-arachidonoylglycerol into signals

 

[EverythingsHazy]

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190930131115.htm

Researchers at Western University have shown for the first time the molecular mechanisms at work that cause cannabidiol, or CBD, to block the psychiatric side-effects caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive chemical in cannabis.

It has been previously shown that strains of cannabis with high levels of THC and low levels of CBD can cause increased psychiatric effects, including paranoia, anxiety and addictive-behaviours, but why that was occurring was not fully understood.

Steven Laviolette, PhD, and his research team used rats to investigate the role of a molecule in the brain's hippocampus called extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) which triggers the neuropsychiatric effects of THC.

"For years we have known that strains of cannabis high in THC and low in CBD were more likely to cause psychiatric side-effects," said Laviolette, a professor at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. "Our findings identify for the first time the molecular mechanisms by which CBD may actually block these THC-related side-effects."

The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience demonstrates that rats that were given THC had higher levels of activated ERK, showed more anxiety behaviours and were more sensitive to fear-based learning. Rats that were given both CBD and THC acted like the control rats: they had normal levels of activated ERK, less anxiety behaviours, and were less sensitive to fear-based learning.

Based on these results, the research team proposes that CBD blocks the ability of THC to overstimulate the ERK pathway in the hippocampus and thus prevent its negative side-effects.

"Our findings have important implications for prescribing cannabis and long-term cannabis use. For example, for individuals more prone to cannabis-related side-effects, it is critical to limit use to strains with high CBD and low THC content," said Laviolette. "More importantly, this discovery opens up a new molecular frontier for developing more effective and safer THC formulations."

PhD Candidate and Vanier Scholar Roger Hudson, lead author on the study, says another interesting finding was that CBD alone had no effect on the ERK pathway. "CBD by itself had no effect," he said. "However, by co-administering CBD and THC, we completely reversed the direction of the change on a molecular level. CBD was also able to reverse the anxiety-like behaviour and addictive-like behaviour caused by the THC."

Laviolette says they will be following up these studies by continuing to identify the specific features of this molecular mechanism. The research team will examine ways to formulate THC with fewer side effects and to improve the efficacy of CBD-derived therapies.
​

This is why I'm interested in adding CBD isolate to high-THC strains, to balance them out, and possibly mitigate some potential negatives.

I'm also interested in vaping it for physical recovery, and possible help with traumatic brain injury from getting hit in the head in combat sports.

 

[Tranquility]

This is why I'm interested in adding CBD isolate to high-THC strains, to balance them out, and possibly mitigate some potential negatives.

I'm also interested in vaping it for physical recovery, and possible help with traumatic brain injury from getting hit in the head in combat sports.

There's a big call for some mitigation for a LOT of brain injuries from sports. It's not just combat sports, but, collision sports like rugby, hockey and American football and even many contact sports like soccer and basketball where close contesting for the ball is bound to cause a head collision at some point--often from an unexpected angle. There's even a special concern for soccer right now because of the heading issue alone. It just does not seem a good thing, from a brain health perspective, to repeatedly slam your head into things. (Or, vice versa.)

That's for the athletes who compete today with knowledge of the risk. It would be awesome if cannabis could help those harmed from prior sports participation causing chronic head injuries.

 

[EverythingsHazy]

There's a big call for some mitigation for a LOT of brain injuries from sports. It's not just combat sports, but, collision sports like rugby, hockey and American football and even many contact sports like soccer and basketball where close contesting for the ball is bound to cause a head collision at some point--often from an unexpected angle. There's even a special concern for soccer right now because of the heading issue alone. It just does not seem a good thing, from a brain health perspective, to repeatedly slam your head into things. (Or, vice versa.)

That's for the athletes who compete today with knowledge of the risk. It would be awesome if cannabis could help those harmed from prior sports participation causing chronic head injuries.

You're right. I shared a letter somewhere on here, from a doctor to someone at the NFL, urging them to study Cannabis' potential to help protect the players. Some of those hits are nasty, and a lot of guys who do full contact sports are suffering from CTE and related injuries, later on in life. It's very sad.

 

[C No Ego]

You're right. I shared a letter somewhere on here, from a doctor to someone at the NFL, urging them to study Cannabis' potential to help protect the players. Some of those hits are nasty, and a lot of guys who do full contact sports are suffering from CTE and related injuries, later on in life. It's very sad.

all that activity uses up cannabinoids... adding extracellular cannabinoids into the equation, well that would help replace them in the person... simple as that I guess

 

[dzunk]

Ok so going by the the study you linked EverthingsHazy it says the maximum recomended human dose of EPIDIOLEX is 20mg per kg .

I weigh 166 pounds or 75 kilos

75 × 20mg = 1500 mgs a day

Check this out not epidiolex but still 390 dollars canadian for 4000 mgs of cbd oil before tax . so it would cost me about 450 bucks with tax for a little over 2 days worth of cbd oil at that dose . which is besides the point but still worth noting . Thats 6750 dollars for a months supply at the maximun dose .

https://www.tilray.ca/en/products/medical-cannabis/tilray-2100-oil.html

Not sure who could afford this but anyway ...

Oral cbd produces less bioavalibility then vaping like we mostly talk about here but just for fun lets try and figure out how much cbd flower we would need to vape to get simalar maximun daily doses .

https://medium.com/cbd-origin/what-is-cbd-bioavailability-and-why-does-it-matter-69d9a2e37e6c

Acording to this it says oral cbd will get you between 4 and 20 % of your dose into your bloodstream

Inhalation it says between 34 and 56 % of your dose will make it into your bloodstream .

So if we go somewere in the middle say 10 % for oral and say 26 % for inhalation we can see that vaping would yeild about 2 and a half times the bioavalibilty of cbd to your blood stream .

So if we take that 1500 mg daily dose of oral cbd and convert it to a inhaltion dose we would need to devide the 1500 by 2.5 so

1500 ÷ 2.5 = 600

So you would need to vape 600 mg of cbd to maybe get a simalar dose into your blood stream

For example sake i have a 9 percent cbd strain which if you do the math = 90mg of cbd per gram . Which if you do the math you would have to vape 6.6 grams a day to get your 600 mgs into your blood strram .

This strain was 11 dollars a gram with tax which equals 6.6 × 11 = 73 dollars a day alot cheaper then the oil for sure .

Anyway like i said i have been using cbd daily long term now like 4 years as well as testing my liver enzymes ALT and AST with NO problem at all .

Now ofcoarse no were near these crazy high doses there usingvto try and kill these poor little micies lol but...

Get my drift those are huge freaking amounts of cbd doses and this is with mice we are talking about .

I dont think any of us here unless we have a wicked drug plan or were rich could even afford these doses anyway i aint no doctor or scientist. And just some dude on the internet that said i dont think i would vape a quarter of weed a day just incase . And it would probably start to gross me out if i even tried to vape that much

Edit i made a mistake with my estimate of the 26 % bioavalibity through vaping as some were in the middle should have been maybe 45 % or some were abouts which would mean you need less the the 6.6 grams of 9 % cbd flower to vape which makes it even much cheaper way to get cbd but also lowers the amout you would need to vape to gwt those maxium doses into your bloodstream which could make it easyier to posion your self if this study even can be extrpalated to people from mice

there are 2 informations you are not taking seriously enough.

1) human cannabinoid system has much more cb-1, cb-2 receptors and we also have more vaniliod receptors than mice. so humans are more sensitive to cannabinoids that mice.

2)entourage effect - its stupid to use isolated cbd. yeah it works, but in a month or so, the effects is decreasing and in another few weeks meets placebo curve. in other words, has no effect whatsoever, your body will get used to it and gain nothing. on the other hand cbd mixed with dozens other cannabinoids and terpenes in a unique profile will trigger much bigger reaction.

i use only high cbd strains for past 2 years. meaning there is always less than 0,5% thc and more than 10% cbd. at start i havent event felt when i dosed myself with 1:1 strain. after 27% thc strain i have been using 3 years ago, my body was flooded with thc. my sleep was terrible, my apetite was good only when i got stoned, i got cranky sometimes and suffer from dystimia from time to time, i had no dream at all of course and i was sometime anxious.

since i use solely cbd weed i sleep like a baby, i have vivid dreams, my apetite is normal, when im hungry i eat, i can go to bed without smoking/vaping whenever i want. i was on a vacation for 2 weeks and hod no problem whatsoever to transition to no cannabis at all. but what is most interesting, i can feel it now when i use it. i get more tired if i vape, i get a little bit more hungry, i enjoy movies better (but remember them the next day at the same time). but what is most important it helps me manage my pain. i had been only once in the past two years in a position when i wanted to use 1:1 strain (unfortunatelly it was not possible) and i had to use 2-3g of cbd weed to make the pain stop. but now im talking about paralysing which caused me to lay on the floor and shake, i even had fever from the pain (102,2F or 39C). and still that almost only cbd strain helped. so dont think that cbd cant help medical patients, it can help and helps very much, it just wont get you high

 

[biohacker]

Today is the 9th day of my sobriety going cold turkey after experimenting with CBD isolate and 3.5:1 FSE. Over the past decade i've gone through several withdrawals (from vaping flower), but this time after exclusively low temp dabbing for the past year, I am in absolute disbelief of the lack of withdrawal symptoms! My biggest symptom is insomnia, but all the cold chills, night sweats, lack of appetite, and feeling like completely garbage are non-existent. In fact, my appetite is through the roof! I'm not sure what's up, because I did use some high thc strains with the cbd, but perhaps the cbd was enough to balance things out? Hard to say, but if anyone is interested, there is some info on cbd in this podcast, although it's perhaps not what you all want to hear.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podca...r-margaret-haney/id1443006588?i=1000447581631

 

[biohacker]

Evidence that THC without CBD can, non-permanently, reduce the size of the hippocampus. Also mention of CBD preventing anxiety and hallucinations from THC

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5068875/

"We believe this is the first multimodal MRI investigation of prolonged THC and CBD exposure or abstinence on hippocampal integrity in current and former cannabis users, respectively. We confirmed that hippocampal volume is reduced in long-term cannabis users, and found that this atrophy can be restored following prolonged abstinence. Moreover, we show for the first time that both hippocampal volume and neurochemistry are reduced to the greatest extent in users exposed to THC without CBD. In contrast, current users of cannabis containing CBD, as well as former users, show no structural or neurochemical hippocampal differences compared with controls. These findings are consistent with suggestions that CBD may be neuroprotective, perhaps through its role in synaptic plasticity and/or neurogenesis "

 

[chris 71]

there are 2 informations you are not taking seriously enough.

1) human cannabinoid system has much more cb-1, cb-2 receptors and we also have more vaniliod receptors than mice. so humans are more sensitive to cannabinoids that mice.

2)entourage effect - its stupid to use isolated cbd. yeah it works, but in a month or so, the effects is decreasing and in another few weeks meets placebo curve. in other words, has no effect whatsoever, your body will get used to it and gain nothing. on the other hand cbd mixed with dozens other cannabinoids and terpenes in a unique profile will trigger much bigger reaction.

i use only high cbd strains for past 2 years. meaning there is always less than 0,5% thc and more than 10% cbd. at start i havent event felt when i dosed myself with 1:1 strain. after 27% thc strain i have been using 3 years ago, my body was flooded with thc. my sleep was terrible, my apetite was good only when i got stoned, i got cranky sometimes and suffer from dystimia from time to time, i had no dream at all of course and i was sometime anxious.

since i use solely cbd weed i sleep like a baby, i have vivid dreams, my apetite is normal, when im hungry i eat, i can go to bed without smoking/vaping whenever i want. i was on a vacation for 2 weeks and hod no problem whatsoever to transition to no cannabis at all. but what is most interesting, i can feel it now when i use it. i get more tired if i vape, i get a little bit more hungry, i enjoy movies better (but remember them the next day at the same time). but what is most important it helps me manage my pain. i had been only once in the past two years in a position when i wanted to use 1:1 strain (unfortunatelly it was not possible) and i had to use 2-3g of cbd weed to make the pain stop. but now im talking about paralysing which caused me to lay on the floor and shake, i even had fever from the pain (102,2F or 39C). and still that almost only cbd strain helped. so dont think that cbd cant help medical patients, it can help and helps very much, it just wont get you high

Not sure why your quoting me ?
I have never even seen let alone tried any cbd isolate tottaly not interested in it to be honest .
Buthi have been vaping cbd only and 1:1 and 2:1 and 1:2 and all sorts of mixes and matches but cbd every day for 4 years and i like it

 

[biohacker]

Wouldn't CBD Isolate be something great to sprinkle on a high thc bowl, or dip FSE dabs in? Depending on how much CBD Isolate, it could very well make a good 1:1 with either flower or dabs IMO.

 

[EverythingsHazy]

Wouldn't CBD Isolate be something great to sprinkle on a high thc bowl, or dip FSE dabs in? Depending on how much CBD Isolate, it could very well make a good 1:1 with either flower or dabs IMO.

It should be the cleanest way to ingest CBD by itself, and/or to modulate the CBD content of any other bud, without adding much else, if you get 99.9% pure CBD.

 

[biohacker]

It should be the cleanest way to ingest CBD by itself, and/or to modulate the CBD content of any other bud, without adding much else, if you get 99.9% pure CBD.

I found an old post of mine in the CannaBreak thread when I vaped after a 90 day break with a 1:1 and said it felt like the very first time! It's like, why even go high THC unless your tolerance sucks? Especially in light of the study I posted. That's a real eye opener, but honestly I don't think most people care.

 

[chris 71]

Wouldn't CBD Isolate be something great to sprinkle on a high thc bowl, or dip FSE dabs in? Depending on how much CBD Isolate, it could very0 well make a good 1:1 with either flower or dabs IMO.

I guess theres a couple reasons i dont get too interesred about cbd isolate .

One is i think of it kinda the same way as i do marinol . Its just one cannabiniod and if its 99.9 % pure it might as well be synthetic too .

Im tottaly not in to synthetic drugs i think once humans start mucking around with a good thing they inadvertenty mess it up or lose something in the process .

There are soo many other things in the cannabis plant that could be making the natural cbd work better right ? Entourage effect .

I will stick to flower or maybe well made extracts that dont take it so far as being purified to 99.9% i wouldnt be the least bit interested in thc isolate for the same reason .

You know some licences producers here in canada are gonna start producing thc and cbd with yeast and fungus or something .

No thanks not for me . I will take my canabinoids the natural way right of the plant with the whole smorgishbog .

In a couple years we will have vape pens with cannabinoids that were grown in some petridish

Franken cabiods lol

 

[biohacker]

@chris 71 That's cool, but I can't find any Full Spectrum Extracts or live resin here in Canada that comes from low thc high cbd flower (yet), and the extracts that I have been able to get (3.5:1) are nothing more than FSE mixed in with CBD Isolate, so the CBD Isolate is the best option for me because I don't vape flower. Otherwise if I ever do use cannabis again i'll just stick with high thc, since i'll never use it that often anyways. The poison is always in the dose.

 

[chris 71]

@chris 71 That's cool, but I can't find any Full Spectrum Extracts or live resin here in Canada that comes from low thc high cbd flower (yet), and the extracts that I have been able to get (3.5:1) are nothing more than FSE mixed in with CBD Isolate, so the CBD Isolate is the best option for me because I don't vape flower. Otherwise if I ever do use cannabis again i'll just stick with high thc, since i'll never use it that often anyways. The poison is always in the dose.

I guess you would have to make your own . But ya that could be hard to do for a bunch of reason .

Not to mention getting the seeds for the kind of strain you want . Especialy if you wanted a cbd only strain here in canada there are not a whole lot of options form legal sorces . For us yet .

It suck you have a issue with flower because there is lots of option there for cbd only flower .

Maybe when the new concentrates start to show up you will have more options.

I enjoy 1:1 strains the best i think or maybe around 10 % thc with about 4 % cbd .

I would also like to find a strain with just like 5 % thc and no cbd , dont see anything that low though . I think i would like this because i could vape a lot with out to much imparment lol .

Hope you find what your looking for too man

 

[Squiby]

I would also like to find a strain with just like 5 % thc and no cbd , dont see anything that low though . I think i would like this because i could vape a lot with out to much imparment lol .

When we were young, my husband and I grew several crops in our basement under halogen lights. We sold the premium buds to finance our first home renovations. The trim, bottom buds and some leaves were our smoke. We could smoke a couple joints and not get wasted, unlike the buds we sold. It was great actually if you enjoyed the ritual. I imagine vaping would be the same. Gift the top buds to your friends and vape away at the trim.

 

[Planck]

Gift the top buds to your friends and vape away at the trim.

Hello friend!

 

[EverythingsHazy]

I found an old post of mine in the CannaBreak thread when I vaped after a 90 day break with a 1:1 and said it felt like the very first time! It's like, why even go high THC unless your tolerance sucks? Especially in light of the study I posted. That's a real eye opener, but honestly I don't think most people care.

I definitely want to get some isolate soon, for the brain and recovery/anti-inflammatory benefits.

As for people ignoring the negative effects of Cannabis...I think it's more of a blend of conformation bias, the halo effect, and other biases/defense mechanisms to which people succumb, rather than outright not caring, though that does seem to be the case for some people.

Do you remember, a while back, when I made a few threads about potential negative effects of Cannabis use, particularly daily use, to our physical and mental health? The stuff about brain volume/mass, brain matter ratios, apathy, dopamine levels, etc.. I got way more backlash than support, to the point of outright flaming in some cases.

I guess it's to be expected that the general attitude toward Cannabis, on a Cannabis forum, would lean more toward the extreme "PRO" side, compared to the rest of the population, but considering the fact that so many people are here rather than a smoking forum, due to health concerns, makes you think there would be a little more open-mindedness towards both sides of the story.

When we were young, my husband and I grew several crops in our basement under halogen lights. We sold the premium buds to finance our first home renovations. The trim, bottom buds and some leaves were our smoke. We could smoke a couple joints and not get wasted, unlike the buds we sold. It was great actually if you enjoyed the ritual. I imagine vaping would be the same. Gift the top buds to your friends and vape away at the trim.

Strong buds can always be "diluted" for a person with low tolerance, with fan/sugar leaves. It would still be 100% Cannabis, unlike mixing tobacco or something else like that, but with less THC.

Hello friend!

 

[hans solo]

I like CBD isolate because dosing is quite accurate.This weekend I converted 15 grams to 150 ml of tincture.
Should last me and the wife awhile.

 

[biohacker]

Do you remember, a while back, when I made a few threads about potential negative effects of Cannabis use, particularly daily use, to our physical and mental health? The stuff about brain volume/mass, brain matter ratios, apathy, dopamine levels, etc.. I got way more backlash than support, to the point of outright flaming in some cases.

I guess it's to be expected that the general attitude toward Cannabis, on a Cannabis forum, would lean more toward the extreme "PRO" side, compared to the rest of the population, but considering the fact that so many people are here rather than a smoking forum, due to health concerns, makes you think there would be a little more open-mindedness towards both sides of the story.

Yep, and it's amazing just how defensive some people get who aren't "addicted"! You definitely get it.

 

[Squiby]

I definitely want to get some isolate soon, for the brain and recovery/anti-inflammatory benefits.

I bought several grams of CBD Isolate a few weeks ago when my favourite dispensary had a flash sale.

I've been topping my bowls of Indica with a sprinkle of it at night before bed. The result has been the best sleeps ever. I sleep solidly through the night and wake-up refreshed and awake. No more weird mid night insomnia periods.

I also suffer from a strange neuropathy on my legs as a result of a Lyme infection that has affected my sleep. With the addition of the CBD Isolate the symptoms have lessoned somewhat.

So far I seem to be enjoying some benefits from it and will continue to use it.

 

[Tranquility]

Some might test dirty even if they use only CBD products. (That contain small amounts of THC.)

https://420intel.com/articles/2019/11/06/cbd-products-may-yield-cannabis-positive-urine-drug-tests

People who use CBD products with a high content of CBD and a low content of THC are being warned that they may yield positive drug test results.

In a study of six adults, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report evidence that a single vaping episode of cannabis that is similar in chemical composition to that found in legal hemp products, such as CBD products, could possibly result in positive results on urine drug screening tests commonly used by many employers and criminal justice or school systems.

The US government defines hemp as any crop of cannabis containing 0.3% THC or less in dry weight. THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is the substance in cannabis that confers a ‘high’ and produces the subjective and cognitive effects that are typically synonymous with cannabis.

The 2018 US Farm Bill legalised the production and sale of hemp, and now as a result, consumer hemp products, such as oils, vaping cartridges and hemp flowers for smoking can be legally purchased in specialty stores, general retail stores and through websites across the US.

The new CBD market
Hemp is now increasingly finding use in medicine and wellness markets, particularly for its component CBD, short for cannabidiol, which is one of the more than 100 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant.

In a paper published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology, the researchers report that two out of six study participants tested positive after vaping cannabis that contained 0.39% THC using urine testing methods that are consistent with testing frequently performed for employment-related or criminal justice-related urine drug testing programmes. Though the cannabis used in this study does not currently meet the federal definition of hemp, the THC concentration of 0.39% exceeds federal regulation by just 0.09%.

Tory Spindle, a researcher in the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, said: “People who use legal hemp products for medical intent rarely just use them once as we did in this study, and prior studies show that THC and its metabolites may accumulate with repeated use.

“What this means is that people need to be wary of single-dose or cumulative THC exposure and be aware that these now legal products may cause an unexpected positive result on a drug test.”

“Because the market for CBD products is so new and the popularity of use is growing so quickly, we want the public to be aware that a positive drug test is possible,” says Ryan Vandrey, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioural sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Vandrey and his collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania previously showed in a JAMAJAMA study that 21% of CBD/hemp products sold on the Internet contained THC, even though it wasn’t listed on the product labels.

Vandrey said: “I have a hard time finding anyone who hasn’t used a CBD product at least once, but most are completely unaware of the possibility of THC exposure or a positive drug test as a result of using these newly legalised products.”

Trials demonstrated CBD to be an effective treatment for two rare forms of paediatric epilepsy, however, there is currently insufficient evidence to support use for any other health condition according to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Despite this, CBD product suppliers and consumers claim benefits of CBD for a wide range of purposes, including everything from anxiety to insomnia to general wellness. CBD products can be swallowed in the form of an oil/tincture, eaten in a food product (e.g., gummy bears), inhaled using vape pens similar to electronic cigarettes, or applied topically to the skin in a cream, patch, balm or gel.

The study
For the current study, the researchers recruited three women and three men with an average age of 31 years old. One participant self-reported as African American and the rest as white.

The batch of cannabis used in this particular study contained 10.5% CBD and 0.39% THC, a 27 to 1 ratio of CBD to THC that is similar to what is often found in legal hemp and CBD products. In the study, research volunteers vaporised a little less than one gram of cannabis, which contained a total dose of 100 milligrams of CBD and 3.7 milligrams of THC. To vape the cannabis, heated cannabis vapour was collected into a balloon that was then inhaled by the participant.

In addition to vaping the high CBD/low THC cannabis, study volunteers also were given pure CBD in a capsule, vaporised pure CBD and placebo (a mock CBD pill and vaporised cannabis in which CBD and THC had been removed) in three other dosing sessions, one week apart from each other. In all active drug conditions (excluding placebo), the CBD dose delivered was 100 milligrams per session.

The drug testing cut-off used to determine a ‘positive’ result in this study was a ‘screening’ concentration of at least 50 nanograms per milliliter of THCCOOH, a metabolite used to indicate whether someone has used cannabis, in the urine sample using an on-site ‘dipstick’ test. A positive on that test was then confirmed at a 15 nanograms per milliliter cut-off of THCCOOH using a more sensitive test method.

Two of the six participants who vaped the low-THC/high-CBD cannabis tested positive for THCCOOH.

No positive urine drug test results were observed in the other test sessions (pure CBD capsules, pure CBD vape or placebo).

Vandrey said: “These results suggest that pure CBD, used once by itself, will not cause a positive drug test.” Adding to this, Spindle points out that it “does not take much THC exposure to trigger a positive test for some people.”

There may be variation from person to person in drug metabolism and puffing behaviours such as inhalation depth, which might contribute to the breakdown or buildup of cannabinoids in the body, the researchers say.
The team says they plan to repeat their studies using products that fall within the current federal hemp regulations with respect to THC content, and additionally study the impact of repeated CBD/hemp exposure on drug testing outcomes.

Other authors on the study were Edward Cone and George Bigelow of Johns Hopkins, David Kuntz of Clinical Reference Laboratory, John Mitchell of RTI International and Ronald Flegel of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

This research was supported by SAMHSA and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
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[MinnBobber]

I just had part one of a dental root canal today . My left jaw, left neck, left face all hurt like crazy.
Rubbed some of my 1200 mg CBD cream on my left cheek/jaw. Rubbed some of the 1600 mgCBD
massage oil on my left neck..... 10 minutes..... pain is down 90%

May vape some of my THC flower with a sprinkle of CBD crystal on top to prepare for bed.

CBD is great medicine!!!

 

[Vape333]

Local shop had a Select CBD pen with Lavender, a smell I have always liked, I had doubts about vaping it w/ CBD, but I must say, yes it is weird to taste it instead of smell it, but it is not unpleasant, and it really does help w/ the Calming effect. Now a fan.