Drug Abuse Expert: CBD is ‘Safe,’ Has Medicinal Benefits
A key drug abuse expert has come out publicly saying that CBD is safe and may have “therapeutic value for a number of medical conditions,” giving ammunition to advocates in favor of rescheduling or descheduling cannabis and bolstering businesses focused on cannabidiol.
Nora Volkow, director of the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), made the comments in an editorial published by the Huffington Post. She said the group will do what it can to address these barriers and expedite research into “this potentially valuable compound, as well as other components of the marijuana plant.”
NIDA supports research into drugs and ways to prevent abuse and addiction.
Marijuana is a Schedule I drug, which according to the Drug Enforcement Administration means it has no accepted medical use and has a high potential for abuse.
That creates barriers to research into the medicinal benefits of CBD, which is derived from marijuana plants.
Despite those barriers, researchers are quickly learning about THC and CBD, Volkow wrote.
She added that CBD especially “may be poised to make great inroads into our pharmacopoeia.”
Fifteen states have CBD-only laws. Only Missouri and Florida have adopted laws that are likely to result in actual CBD-based medicines. Other CBD laws, including those in Texas and Louisiana, are seriously flawed, advocates said.
