Is There Anything CBD Can’t Do? Then Why Is It Illegal?

[User]

While the prohibition of cannabis is absurd, the ban on the plant’s non-psychoactive components is even more mind-boggling — particularly when it’s apparent that these compounds possess amazing therapeutic properties. Case in point: cannabidiol (CBD).

A just published scientific review by Sao Paulo University (Brazil) researcher Antonio Zuardi reports that there’s been an “explosive increase” of interest in CBD over the past five years. It’s apparent why.

“Studies have suggested a wide range of possible therapeutic effects of cannabidiol on several conditions, including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cerebral ischemia, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, other inflammatory diseases, nausea and cancer,” Zuardi writes. Let’s look at a few of these in detail, shall we?

1. Antiepileptic action
“In 1973, a Brazilian group reported that CBD was active in … blocking convulsions produced in experimental animals.”

2. Sedative action
“In humans with insomnia, high doses of CBD increased sleep duration compared to placebo.”

3. Anxiolytic action
“CBD induce[s] a clear anxiolytic effect and a pattern of cerebral activity compatible with an anxiolytic activity.”

4. Antipsychcotic action
“[C]linical studies suggest that CBD is an effective, safe and well-tolerated alternative treatment for schizophrenic patients.”

5. Antidystonic action
“CBD … had antidystonic effects in humans when administered along with standard medication to five patients with dystonia, in an open study.”

6. Antioxidative action
“[I]t was demonstrated that CBD can reduce hydroperoxide-induced oxidative damage as well as or better than other antioxidants. CBD was more protective against glutamate neurotoxicity than either ascorbate or a-tocopherol, indicating that this drug is a potent antioxidant.”

7. Neuroprotective action
“A marked reduction in the cell survival was observed following exposure of cultured rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells to beta-A peptide. Treatment of the cells with CBD prior to beta-A exposure significantly elevated the cell survival.”

8. Antiinflammatory action
“CBD, administered i.p. or orally, has blocked the progression of arthritis.”

9. Cardioprotective action
“CBD induces a substantial cardioprotective effect.”

10. Action on diabetes
“CBD treatment of NOD (non-obese diabetic) mice before the development of the disease reduced its incidence from 86% in the non-treated control mice to 30% in CBD-treated mice. … It was also observed that administration of CBD to 11-14 week old female NOD mice, which were either in a latent diabetes stage or had initial symptoms of diabetes, ameliorated the manifestations of the disease.”

11. Antiemetic action
“The expression of this conditioned retching reaction was completely suppressed by CBD and delta9-THC, but not by ondansetron, [an] antagonist that interferes with acute vomiting.”

12. Anticancer action
“A study of the effect of different cannabinoids on eight tumor cell lines, in vitro, has clearly indicated that, of the five natural compounds tested, CBD was the most potent inhibitor of cancer cell growth.”

In sum, the past 45 years of scientific study on CBD has revealed the compound to be non-toxic, non-psychoactive, and to possess a multitude of therapeutic properties. Yet, to this day it remains illegal to possess or use (and nearly impossible to study in US clinical trials) simply because it is associated with marijuana.

What possible advancements in medical treatment may have been achieved over the past decades had US government officials chosen to advance — rather than inhibit — clinical research into CBD (which, under federal law, remains a Schedule I drug defined as having “no currently accepted medical use”)? Perhaps it’s time someone asks John Walters or the DEA?


News Hawk: User: http://www.420magazine.com/
Source: NORML
Author: Paul Armentano
Copyright: 2008 NORML
Contact: Contact Us - NORML
Website: NORML Blog Blog Archive Is There Anything CBD Can’t Do? Then Why Is It Illegal?

[wordsworm]

It has always been clear to me why drugs like these are illegal: they threaten the profitability of the big, powerful, and immensely wealthy drug lords - and I mean the pharmaceuticals. When I used to hang out at Halifax's port, the only boats bigger than Stallone's were owned by the pharmaceutical drug lords.

[hlp2disbld]

Screw the drug lords. We , remember beat up a nation (Iraq) which did nothing to us until we forced them. My only hope is out heroes (soldiers) are not treated like Vietnam by the time they come home. God bless our troops and not the idiots who make them fight for ? i forget what did Iraq do? Oh, nothing except follow their culture Wasn't it a few idiots who hide in mountains of Pakistan and Iran who did 9/11 and would have Escobar shot down planes who held witnesses against him if he was not charged with smuggling MJ? If he stopped smuggling c*ke wouldn't someone else took and did take his place. A game that will continue as long as their is no decriminalization.

[wordsworm]

When every man is created equal, perhaps your arguments will have weight. But until party bribes are eradicated, not to mention the personal perks, there is going to be a mighty, unequal fight between the prohibitionists, the inhibitionists, the exhibitionists, abolitionists, religious reich, the extortionists, the slave trade (not in all states, I know: Warden "We need another 500 slaves for some road work." DEA, "Gotcha, we've got a poor neighborhood of hood-toughies we can target."), and the pro-pot activists.

[trueblu8]

Great post! I really liked the proven uses for CBD that you included in there.

Here is an excellent video on why MJ is illegal.

Listen to what the guy has to say at 4:10. I believe this, along with the Pharmeceutical, Tobacco, Liquor, and Paper industries efforts to keep it that way are why our beloved MJ is illegal. But be positive, change is happening. There are now 12 states that have approved MMJ, more are sure to follow. And what will follow that willl hopefully be a change in federal law that confilcts with the state laws.

Originally Posted by wordsworm

It has always been clear to me why drugs like these are illegal: they threaten the profitability of the big, powerful, and immensely wealthy drug lords - and I mean the pharmaceuticals. When I used to hang out at Halifax's port, the only boats bigger than Stallone's were owned by the pharmaceutical drug lords.

Yes that's right, it will be incredibly difficult to battle huge powerful corporations like that!

Originally Posted by wordsworm

When every man is created equal, perhaps your arguments will have weight. But until party bribes are eradicated, not to mention the personal perks, there is going to be a mighty, unequal fight between the prohibitionists, the inhibitionists, the exhibitionists, abolitionists, religious reich, the extortionists, the slave trade (not in all states, I know: Warden "We need another 500 slaves for some road work." DEA, "Gotcha, we've got a poor neighborhood of hood-toughies we can target."), and the pro-pot activists.

You are so right about this. And not that many people know about it. The government is using prison labor, and swap labor for free. In swap you even have to pay them just so you can work for free! And they are laying off city, and state workers and using using these guys in place of them wherever they can. Pretty sick shit.