What is the difference, and what is legal?

Now that marijuana-related products are (FDA) approval of the first drug derived from being hyped in the news media for the cannabis – Epidolex (purified CBD) – in 2018. treatment of any number of problems, it What is the difference between CBD and can be difficult to identify what is lawful use and what is not. While many people may be able to name the compound tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) as the “active ingredient” in marijuana, it is actually one of hundreds of different chemicals found in the cannabis plant. Lately, other compounds derived from the cannabis plant have been attracting THC? Both act, as most drugs do, by binding receptors in the body. What triggers a response is the interaction between a drug and its receptor. There are two receptors that cannabis compounds can bind: cannabinoid-1 (CB1) and cannabinoid-2 (CB2). THC is a weak activator of CB1 and CB2. This activation is responsible for the typical attention due to possible therapeutic effects we associate with marijuana value. Cannabidiol (CBD) in particular has recently been touted as an effective agent for the relief of a wide variety of health issues including anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, inflammation, nausea and epilepsy. Although little scientific evidence exists to justify most claims about the actions of CBD, its effectiveness as treatment for certain child epilepsy syndromes has been well supported by lab research and clinical trials. This research led to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration use: altered emotional and cognitive states (the “high”), along with increased appetite and decreased pain. CBD also binds CB1 but not in the same way, therefore the response is different. If the receptors were volume buttons, THC turns the volume up. CBD, on the other hand, turns the volume down. In particular, CBD does not produce the “high” of THC, and so the risk of abuse is considered to be much lower. Additionally, CBD activates several other receptors, which would explain some of the other effects attributed to CBD use.

Thanks to the Agriculture Improvement Act (signed into law in Dec. 2018), hemp and hemp products no longer carry the Controlled Substance classification, which means CBD extracted from hemp is legal under federal law. Hemp and marijuana both come from cannabis plants, but hemp is a variety of cannabis that typically contains only trace amounts of THC. However, these cannabis products fall under FDA regulation and must be approved for sale, just like all drugs and medications sold at pharmacies. So, according to federal law, these products cannot be sold as dietary supplements or food additives, because these are not regulated by the FDA.

Despite what the federal law may say, the laws in many states are different. Some Louisiana physicians are allowed to “recommend” cannabis products such as CBD to their patients. Under state law, retailers are able to sell CBD and other hemp-derived products, as long as they do not contain THC. Products not derived from hemp are still illegal. So, someone in Louisiana can go buy some CBD oil from a CBD shop, but technically, the shop and the patron are violating federal law because the CBD oil is being sold as a supplement and not an FDA-approved drug.

It is important to note that these CBD oil shops are not medical marijuana dispensaries. As of November 2018, only nine physicians are licensed in Louisiana to recommend marijuana to their patients, and the current law only allows for a maximum of 10 medicinal marijuana pharmacies in the state.

If you have any questions about the federal legality of hemp and CBD use, visit the FDA webpage at www.fda.gov, which lists commonly asked questions and answers that they are updating as the laws change.

Also, as with any health and wellness issues, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor if you have questions about the use of CBD and cannabis products.

Michelle A. Carroll Turpin earned her Ph.D. from the Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Neuroscience at LSU Health Shreveport in 2015 and was hired as an assistant professor in the department that same year. Her priority is medical education. She is a medical school course director and teaches general principles of pharmacology, adrenergic pharmacology cardiovascular pharmacology and respiratory pharmacology to medical and graduate students, is a small group facilitator and serves on the Medical Admissions Committee. Dr. Carroll Turpin’s current research interests focus on the prevention of iatrogenic opioid addiction through improved methods of patient and physician education.

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