Tag: cannabidiol

CBD Oil Fails to Improve Symptom Control in Advanced Cancer

Has the hype outpaced the evidence when it comes to cannabis? A new clinical trial fails to show any benefit of CBD oil in patients with advanced cancer.

/ January 19, 2023

How Safe is CBD?

CBD is a drug, but sold as both a drug and herbal supplement. What does the current evidence say about its safety?

/ June 15, 2022

Where Are We With CBD

The science is not yet in on cannabinoids for most indications. We should wait until it is.

/ September 30, 2020

CBD Oil: The new miracle cure

Cannabidiol (CBD) oil is hyped as a miracle product to treat virtually everything. What is the evidence to support this?

/ July 11, 2019

FDA: No CBD in dietary supplements or foods for now, but let’s talk

The FDA reminds everyone that (no matter what your state says) CBD is not a legal ingredient in dietary supplements and foods. The agency is willing to explore changes to the law but unproven claims for CBD health benefits, such cancer cures, will not be tolerated.

/ May 9, 2019

Medical marijuana as the new herbalism, part 5: Turning herbalism into science-based medicine

There’s a new clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine showing a beneficial effect due to cannabidiol, a chemical isolated from marijuana, on drug-resistant seizures due to Dravet syndrome. Although there are a fair number of caveats, this is how you begin to turn the herbalism that characterizes medical marijuana advocacy into science-based medicine.

/ May 29, 2017

Medical marijuana as the new herbalism, part 4: Cannabis for autism

Medical marijuana. It’s promoted as a seeming panacea that can cure whatever ails you. While there are potentially useful medicinal compounds in marijuana, in general the medical marijuana movement vastly oversells the promise. Nowhere is this more true than for cancer and autism, where there is no compelling evidence that cannabis cures cancer. Worse, parents are subjecting autistic children to cannabis with...

/ August 3, 2015

Medical marijuana as the new herbalism, part 3: A “cannabis cures cancer” testimonial

Medical marijuana is often touted, primarily in the form of cannabis oil extract, as a cure for cancer that “they” don’t want you to know about. While some cannabinoids do have modest antitumor activity in vitro, there is no compelling evidence that cannabis can cure cancer. Yet that doesn't stop a proliferation of testimonials claiming that cannabis cured cancer. They are no...

/ March 16, 2015

Medical marijuana as the new herbalism, part 2: Cannabis does not cure cancer

Medical marijuana. It’s promoted as a seeming panacea that can cure whatever ails you. In particular, it's touted, primarily in the form of cannabis oil extract, as a cure for cancer that "they" don't want you to know about. While there are potentially useful medicinal compounds in marijuana, in general the medical marijuana movement vastly oversells the promise. While some cannabinoids do...

/ August 11, 2014

Medical marijuana as the new herbalism, part 1: Science versus the politics of weed in New York and beyond

Medical marijuana. It's promoted as a seeming panacea that can cure whatever ails you. While there are potentially useful medicinal compounds in marijuana, in general the medical marijuana movement vastly oversells the promise. The truth is far more prosaic and nuanced.

/ July 7, 2014