Is CBD Oil Safe? What the WHO Says About CBD

CBD is currently on everyone’s lips and is recommended for treating all kinds of complaints. You keep hearing and reading that CBD is absolutely not dangerous and that anyone can therefore give it a try. So that from now on you can also recommend it to your grannies with a clear conscience, here is an official statement on CBD’s health profile – and on whether CBD oil is safe – from none other than the World Health Organization (WHO). This should finally sweep all your remaining concerns (or those of your grannies) off the table.

In June 2018, the WHO published a 28-page report called the “Critical Review Report” on cannabidiol (CBD). In it, the active substance CBD was put through its paces. It examined not only the possible applications, but also any risks and side effects. The report also contains a statement on the current state of research. In short: what research knows about CBD and where it is used in medicine. So that you don’t have to struggle through all 28 pages, we have summarised the most important points for you here.

CBD: what exactly is it again?

Cannabidiol, CBD for short, is a natural component of the cannabis plant which, unlike THC, is not psychoactive but rather has a calming and relaxing effect. A number of studies, with both humans and animals, deal with precisely this topic.

The results show that CBD and THC sometimes produce opposite effects: while THC can sometimes cause a racing heart or raise blood pressure, this effect is not known for CBD. One experiment with animals that were placed in a stressful situation even showed a reduction in the previously raised pulse and blood pressure.

So is CBD dangerous?

The WHO is of the opinion that CBD is harmless and non-toxic. So even if not all the potential effects of CBD have been fully researched yet, it can still be said that CBD has a very low so-called toxicity and that the human body responds well to CBD.

However, studies point out that in patients who are already taking medication because of an illness, side effects occasionally occurred after consuming CBD. So if you or your grannies (😉) are already taking medication, always discuss your CBD use with the treating doctor first.

Can you become addicted to CBD?

The WHO does not classify the abuse potential of CBD as significant. This means that it does not assume that CBD is addictive. After all, CBD does not have the same properties typical of cannabinoids as THC, for example.

CBD therefore has a good so-called safety profile and is even safer than, for example, table salt. Animal studies on potential physical dependence caused by consuming CBD were also negative. However, there is a lack of controlled studies in humans to be able to rule out the development of physical dependence 100%.

Which areas of application of CBD have already been researched?

As mentioned above, we also want to tell you more about where CBD is already used in medicine. It is assumed that, because of its wide-ranging effects, CBD can have a positive effect on many mental and physical illnesses. Most is already known about the effect of CBD in epilepsy.

For this area of application, there is already a medicine which, at the time of the WHO report, was in the third phase of clinical trials. Epidiolex is a medicine intended to help above all with Dravet syndrome, a form of early childhood epilepsy. Those affected often do not respond to conventional anti-epileptic drugs and suffer several hundred seizures a month.

The first studies on CBD as a treatment option date back to the 1970s and already indicated that there could be a connection between taking CBD and a reduction in the epileptic seizures of the trial patients. Subsequent, more detailed studies with control groups largely confirmed this, although the effect differed from patient to patient. Some of the patients, however, remained almost free of epileptic seizures.

Research on the effect of CBD on other illnesses is not yet as advanced. However, there are already studies that attribute neuroprotective, anti-epileptic, antipsychotic, pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory, anti-asthmatic and even anti-cancer effects to CBD.

Other studies found a possible therapeutic effect of CBD in schizophrenia and in combating drug or tobacco dependence. However, these are mostly preclinical studies. This means that no scientifically sound statements can yet be made about whether and how CBD helps here.

Conclusion

What we can say, however, is that CBD has different effects in people with different symptoms of illness. And much more importantly: according to the WHO, it has a very good safety profile. This means that CBD is not dangerous and you can simply give it a try without hesitation.

It is important to show a little patience here. Sometimes it can take weeks until the endocannabinoid system is supported and built up. The older we get, the longer this process can take. Hemp nut oil supports the build-up quite naturally. If you are already older or simply want to support your body in building it up, we particularly recommend our Organic CBD Oil based on hemp nut oil.

We hope you enjoy trying it!