CBD: “Miracle Medicine?”

Since hurting her arm in June, Ruth Brant has been using a cannabidiol (CBD) ointment to loosen her muscles and lessen the pain. Chris Traficante has been using CBD gummies for headaches and a roll-on lotion for specific aches and pains for about five years. 
Karen Rose started ingesting CBD gummies about four months ago to help her sleep through the night. Joan Alletag felt almost immediate relief of her arthritis pain since starting a CBD dietary supplement three months ago.  
These Cape May County residents have joined thousands nationwide who use CBD to treat everything from epilepsy to anxiety, to promoting bone health, reducing inflammation and pain. Touted by some as a “miracle medicine,” the trendy cannabis compound is sold in oils, topical creams, balms and lotions. It’s also turning up in bottled water, pet treats, breath mints, and coffee.  
It can be bought at a CBD store, ordered online or picked up at many local stores and gas stations countywide. Over the summer, it could be found at local arts and craft shows, events, and farmers markets. 
While products containing the hemp derivative are relatively easy to get, their health value has yet to be proved. Anecdotally, CBD appears to work for pain, but a local farmer, who has expanded his business with a CBD product line, cautions consumers to educate themselves and “keep it natural” before trying CBD.
Pain Alleviated
Brant rested her injured arm for two weeks, and when it didn’t get any better, she saw a doctor who ordered a cortisone shot, and eventually physical therapy. At the time, she couldn’t use any weights or do pushups; she couldn’t hold anything in her hand without pain.  
As a strength and weight personal trainer at a local gym, Brant decided she needed to do more to alleviate the pain. A friend who used CBD products shared some information. After Brant researched CBD, she decided to try it.  
“I thought it couldn’t hurt to try it,” she said. “I know I’m still injured, but I feel so much better. It helps relax my muscles in my forearm and wrist, and the pain goes away. I can do more things with my arm now.”
What is CBD?
CBD is short for cannabidiol, one of the many compounds found in the two versions of the cannabis sativa plant: hemp and marijuana. Hemp is typically distinguished by its use in everything from textiles and paper, to cosmetics, food, and beverages, as well as by its physical appearance and lower concentration of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Hemp producers often grow the plant for its seeds, flowers, and stalk. 
THC is the cannabinoid that makes people “high,” but unlike THC, CBD causes no intoxicating or euphoric effects, according to the staff at Realm of Caring, a Colorado-based cannabis research organization. 
Marijuana contains the psychoactive compound THC that produces a cerebral high, and is the biggest reason why it remains illegal in many states.
Education is Key
“The key for consumers is education,” cautioned Carmen Adamucci, Sr., a farmer for more than 45 years in Cumberland County, who launched a skincare line made of natural and organic ingredients in 2017, three years after retiring. His product line includes CBD products. 
“The first thing I do is educate consumers on what CBD is and is not,” he said. “You will not get high from it. It does not have any psychoactive element to it.” 
The THC level depends on the variety of hemp plant, Adamucci said. 
The 2018 Farm Bill, signed into law last December, makes it legal to grow and market the hemp plant in all 50 states. Federal law requires no more than 0.3% THC in hemp plants used for CBD production.  
Adamucci said he expects “big changes” in the industry, as each state starts permitting farmers to grow industrial hemp. He hopes the New Jersey Hemp Bill, which allows for a pilot project with a limited number of hemp farmers in the Garden State, will allow farmers like him to grow the plant. Today, he sources it from Colorado. 
“I know there is a lot of controversy about it, and a lot of that is by big pharmaceuticals,” Adamucci said. “I think you will see farmers growing it, distributing it, manufacturing products and selling them. I think if the agriculture community guides the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the farmers will keep it as a natural product. There’s a lot of excitement about the potential in the agriculture community.” 
New Jersey will join 38 states with similar programs for industrial hemp. 
Adamucci said his customers, who are “mostly older consumers,” share stories about how CBD has helped them. They also express concern over the high cost. 
“The price is high because the supply comes from a few hands,” he noted. “I think there will be a lot of changes in 2020 and 2021, and you’ll see the price come down as more suppliers come on board.”
Who Takes CBD?
A 2019 national survey by Consumer Reports (CR), an independent non-profit, found 26% of Americans have tried CBD at least once in the past two years (http://bit.ly/2C4Q7dM). It is often touted to help reduce stress, anxiety, and joint pain or inflammation. The FDA has not approved any of these claims.  
CBD is a largely unregulated product, although, in 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex, the nation’s first drug derived from CBD, for rare, severe forms of epilepsy. Under state law, the Department of Agriculture can promote the study and cultivation of hemp. 
Since it is unregulated, and there have been media reports about how it’s manufactured, Joan Alletag was driven to thoroughly research CBD, and speak with doctors before deciding to use a CBD dietary supplement for her arthritis.  
“I always read where it comes from on the labels to make sure it’s from the U.S.,” the 84-year-old Cape May resident said. 
Because she takes other medications, she talked with her heart doctor, regular doctor and druggist before starting CBD in August. “They said ‘go for it,’ so I did,” she said. 
Alletag said she felt better “almost right away” after starting the supplement, buying it at a local grocery store who keeps it “under lock and key.” 
“I’ve been taking gel capsules, but I’m going to try gummies because they are easier to carry around,” she added.
Aids Sleep, Headaches, Aches 
Karen Rose, of North Cape May, started taking CBD gummies four months ago to help her fall asleep and stay asleep. Her nurse practitioner recommended a brand, which she tried. At first, she wasn’t sure the CBD was helping, until she realized she was sleeping through the night, waking up well-rested.  
“I’m always researching what the good brands are, and to make sure it is produced in the U.S.,” she added. “It’s funny to see how some brands market themselves as a super-power. I think you should stick to the all-natural.” 
Chris Traficante, Ed.D., of Cape May, doesn’t like to use any type of medication, so he has been researching CBD for over eight years. As a fitness coach and nutrition planner at a local gym, the retired high school principal and English teacher said he understands how CBD works within the body.  
“You have to be careful about where the product comes from,” he stressed. “It should come from organic farmers in the U.S.” 
Traficante said he ingests CBD gummies for frequent headaches and uses a roll-on lotion for specific sore areas. He recommends researching and then starting with small dosages, until the individual reaches a level that relieves the condition they are treating.  
“The type of product you use also depends on what you are treating,” he added. “Drops under the tongue will get into your bloodstream quicker because they don’t have to be digested. A cream or roll-on might be better if you have a sore muscle or ache.”
What about Drug Testing?
While hemp-derived CBD products like oils, lotions, and vape liquids are legal in all 50 states, a lot of people don’t consider one crucial side effect: the possibility that CBD could cause users to fail a drug test and lose their job.  
“Because CBD and THC share the same plant, minuscule amounts of THC slips into CBD products, and even though it’s not enough to make you high, it’s still enough to red flag a drug test,” said Nancy Bostrom, an account manager, whose public relations firm markets for a national franchise of direct access labs. 
CBD users are at greater risk for failing a drug test if a person takes larger amounts than the recommended dosage, or have been taking CBD over a long period before getting tested, she noted. 
Bostrom said there is no way to prevent a positive test result, “but you should always read the packaging label. You should always check to see if the CBD product box has a certificate of analysis (COA).  
“You can see the COA by scanning the QR code on the product packaging,” she explained. “If a QR code is not available, you should contact the manufacturer and request a copy of the COA.”  
The COA shows the results of the CBD maker’s testing for THC, CBD, and various other ingredients.  
“Remember, the COA should say there is no more than 0.3% THC in the product,” Bostrom added.
To contact Karen Knight, email kknight@cmcherald.com.