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Is CBD safe? Your questions answered.

is-cbd-safe-hempura

Is CBD safe? Your questions answered.

 

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol (also known as CBD) is one of the beneficial compounds found in Cannabis Sativa Industrial Hemp. It was first isolated and identified in the 1960s, and research into the wellbeing properties of this cannabinoid is still being carried out today.

CBD oil products have become a popular wellbeing supplement in the UK and internationally over the last few years, but here at Hempura, we do receive occasional questions from individuals who want a little more reassurance about the potential side effects of CBD oil products and interactions with other medicines and health conditions. For this reason, we’ll be answering some of your questions in this article.

 

Are there any CBD side effects?

In a background paper into the potential adverse effects of CBD products[i], a number of short-term human studies of CBD consumption were mentioned which report no significant side effects from sensible one-off CBD dosages.  In addition to this, the report also highlights several studies that involved repeated sensible doses of CBD oil in human participants, and none of these studies describes issues with CBD toxicity or negative side effects.

However, there are a few potential side effects that have been reported by some individuals to be associated with CBD, including dry mouth, low blood pressure, lightheadedness, and drowsiness[ii], and if you are experiencing any of these it is recommended that you stop taking your CBD oil product immediately.

If you do want to start using CBD again after experiencing side effects, it’s important to start with a small dose and work your way up to a point where you are feeling the wellbeing benefits of the product without experiencing the side effects.

 

CBD and pregnancy – is it safe?

 

pregnant lady in field

Photo by Anna Hecker on Unsplash

 

There are very few studies that have been carried out into the use of CBD products and pregnancy[iii], and as a result, many healthcare professionals recommend against the use of CBD products during pregnancy.  For further advice, it’s worth speaking directly to your GP or midwife.

 

CBD and drug tests – will I get a positive result?

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University found that 2 of 6 study participants who had been using a CBD vape product (with 0.39% Tetrahydrocannabinol content – which is well above the UK/EU legal threshold for THC, the primary psychoactive component of cannabis) tested positive on a urine drug screening test of the variety used by many US employers and criminal justice organisations[iv].

Though the CBD product involved in the research was well above the legal threshold for THC in the UK, and this research involved a one-off CBD vaping activity, rather than repeated use of these products, one Johns Hopkins researcher stated the following: “People need to be wary of single-dose or cumulative THC exposure and be aware that these now legal products may cause an unexpected positive result on a drug test.”[v]

 

CBD and drug interactions – will it affect other medications I am taking?

 

pills in hand

Photo by pina messina on Unsplash

 

There is evidence that CBD does have an impact on certain medications (for example, CYP inhibitors or inducers[vi]), so if you are taking medication at the moment, it is worth speaking to your GP or pharmacist about whether CBD oil products are a safe and appropriate wellbeing supplement for you.

 

CBD and alcohol – can I use them together?

As mentioned earlier, there are some side effects that have been linked by a few individuals to CBD product use, including dry mouth, low blood pressure, lightheadedness, and drowsiness.  If you experience any of these side effects, the physiological effects associated with alcohol use may be exacerbated[vii].

As a result, it is recommended that if you experience any of the negative side-effects associated with CBD products that you cease to use them, potentially starting again when symptoms have subsided completely, but remembering that if you do start taking it again, you do so at a very low dose to find the dosage that works most effectively for you without side effects.

 

CBD and driving – can I drive after taking CBD oil products?

 

driver

Photo by Art Markiv on Unsplash

 

As per our FAQs, you can drive after taking CBD products as long as they contain undetectable levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol, like all of the CBD products sold by Hempura.  However, we would advise that you get used to taking CBD first before driving, to ensure that you don’t experience any side effects which could have a negative impact on your ability to drive or operate machinery.

Here at Hempura, we sell trusted CBD products that undergo rigorous testing before sale to ensure they are of the very highest quality and contain <0.01% or undetectable levels of THC and are legal for sale in the UK and much of Europe.  If you’d like to view our full range of products, take a look at our online shop.

 

References

[i] https://cot.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/tox2019-32.pdf – see page 26 for information about Human Studies

[ii] https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1439/cannabidiol-cbd

[iii] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11916-020-00872-w

[iv] https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/some-cbd-products-may-yield-cannabis-positive-urine-drug-tests

[v] https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/newsroom/news-releases/some-cbd-products-may-yield-cannabis-positive-urine-drug-tests

[vi] https://www.sps.nhs.uk/articles/cannabis-based-medicinal-products-potential-drug-interactions/

[vii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/120541/

Last Updated on 04/04/2022

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