While canabidiol, (otherwise known as CBD) use has exploded there are still many who are confused about its use, efficacy, and legality.

CBD is one of the many compounds found in the hemp plant.

Unlike THC, which is the psychotropic molecule in marijuana, a closely related plant to hemp but different, CBD does not induce the euphoric high associated with the THC molecule.

According to research conducted in 2018 at San Diego State University, the most common ailments for CBD use included chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. This same research study found that the most common form of administration was sublingual, which included sprays and tinctures. (1)

Chris Tessler, the store manager of azWHOLEistic in Phoenix spoke with Northeast Valley News about some of the common reasons people purchase CBD.

“People use CBD for everything from pain, arthritis, anxiety and depression to getting off opioids and pain killers and also to help with sleep.  The number one thing it does is it balances our bodies,” Tessler said.

There have been many legal questions regarding CBD.

In May of 2018, Arizona lawmakers passed SB1098, which legalized CBD derived products from the hemp plant so long as the THC concentration is less than 0.3%.

The CBD market has exploded in Arizona as many stores have opened around the Valley. This has led to more questions about CBD and some of those questions relate to product quality, which has been an overall concern in the general market.

In a 2017 JAMA publication, which analyzed CBD products, it was revealed that 70% of the products tested were inaccurately labeled and were either over or under concentrated with active CBD. Researchers used an independent lab to test 84 products from 31 companies.

“When it comes to CBD, it’s about the quality of the product. There have been tests on many products and many of them don’t live up to what they say they are. There is no real FDA regulation. So it really comes down to business ethics and business morals and there is a lot of greed out there. So when people get greedy, the product quality really goes down,” Tessler said.

A way to mitigate this problem is to find products that are quality tested and verified.

Dr. Yu-Rhee Hyun, a naturopathic physician based in Scottsdale, suggests that consumers investigate the legitimacy and reliability of a company and their testing standards.

“CBD products from legitimate companies that do quality testing are what I recommend people look for in a product,” Hyun said.