How do Botanically Complete Formulations Compare with Single Compound Formulations?
Hemp is one of the most versatile plants in the world. It has a long history of use as a food, fuel, fiber and medicine. Many cultures hold deep reverence for its medicinal benefits and flat out healing powers.

In today’s World, the focus has been on only one of hemps many hundreds of active and essential compounds: namely, the primary natural cannabinoid known as cannabidiol (CBD). This CBD-centric focus has led to the development of some excellent products, such as the Epidiolex, a cannabis-derived pharmaceutical drug that is poised to be approved by the FDA for the treatment of pediatric refractory epilepsy. However, CBD alone is only capable of conferring part of hemp’s power — and therein lies the limitation and hubris of using the ‘isolated active ingredient’ model.

The market is currently flooded with companies selling CBD in all kinds of formats: oils, edibles, topical, vaping, transdermal, and more. It’s hard to think that just a couple of years ago, such a thing was unheard of!

As a consumer, however, the need to be informed is key to the unregulated market of CBD, because not all manufactured goods are what they claim to be.   While some are seeking FDA approval for products and regulation is not yet a common idea in the industry, each production company is subject to its own morals and ethics when it comes to labeling and transparency of product ingredients and mg.

Full Spectrum vs Isolate

As the term suggests, full spectrum hemp oil comes with all the of the cannabinoids present in the plant. In hemp oil, this includes a long list of cannabis compounds (400+).  When CBD is in isolate form, it is separated from other cannabis compounds in the source plant.  

It has become typical within some sectors of the nutraceutical industry to emulate the pharmaceutical model, which focuses on identifying a single, well understood molecule that can be standardized and studied to determine its relative safety and efficacy. This focus on the delivery and effectiveness of each purported ‘active ingredient’, within each serving, as if it were a pharmaceutical drug, ignores the holistic benefits of plant based medicine that arise from combining active ingredients with other essential molecules that interact synergistically to produce outcomes that are greater than the sum of each individual molecule or ingredient.

The truth is, there is no singular ‘magic bullet’ in a food or herbal supplement that is responsible for the whole plant’s health benefits.  If you limit your intake to only one compound, expect limited results.  The fact is that most medicinal plants contain hundreds of active compounds which interact synergistically to enhance the health benefits.
Beyond Just “CBD”

In 2015, a groundbreaking study demonstrated the superior therapeutic properties of whole plant hemp extracts compared to single-molecule CBD. Published in the Journal of Pharmacology & Pharmacy (February 2015), the article directly challenged one of the sacred cows of “Big Pharma” and traditional allopathic medicine — the belief that ‘crude” botanical preparations are inherently less effective than a purified formulation containing a single, well understood molecule with a clear structure and function.

Entitled “Overcoming the Bell-Shaped Dose-Response of Cannabidiol by Using Cannabis Extract Enriched in Cannabidiol,” the article is particularly noteworthy given the contribution of Lumir Hanus, one of the scientists responsible for the discovery of anandamide, the endogenous cannabinoid compound first identified in 1992.

Hanus and two colleagues from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem surveyed the scientific literature and found that during the past fifteen years several preclinical studies had focused on the anti-inflammatory effects of pure, single-molecule CBD using in vitro and in vivo animal models of various diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, and diabetes.

These studies found that the administration of pure, single-molecule CBD resulted in a bell-shaped dose-response curve. This meant that when the dose of CBD exceeded a certain point its therapeutic effects went away.

“Healing was only observed when CBD was given within a very limited dose range, whereas no beneficial effect was achieved at either lower or higher doses,”

This characteristic of single-molecule CBD is a serious obstacle that limits its usefulness in a clinical context. In order to overcome this limitation, the Israeli team sought to compare whole plant extracts, which contained mostly CBD but also contained an array of minor cannabinoids and other constituents, with CBD alone. “The aim of the present study,” the authors explained, “was to find a CBD source that could eliminate the bell-shaped dose-response of purified CBD.”

The CBD-rich strain used by the researchers is called “Avidekel” and was obtained from Tikkun Olam, an Israeli medical marijuana producer. Avidekel contains only trace amounts of THC and therefore is not intoxicating. The Israeli researchers extracted CBD-rich oil which contained 17.9 percent CBD, 1.1 percent THC, 1.1 percent cannabichromene (CBC), 0.2 percent cannabigerol (CBG), and “traces” of cannabinol (CBN) and cannabidiol (CBDV). This “whole plant” extract was given to mice to evaluate its anti-inflammatory and pain relieving effects.

When compared to mice given pure CBD, those given the “whole plant”, CBD rich extract showed a direct, dose-dependent inhibition of pain, inflammation, and TNFa production. The “bell shaped” curve disapeared and instead “a clear correlation between the anti-inflammatory and anti-nociceptive responses and the dose, with increasing responses upon increasing doses, which [making] this plant medicine ideal for clinical uses.”

In addition, the Israeli researchers found that when using a CBD right, whole plant extract, a smaller amount of CBD was needed for significant pain relief compared to the much larger amount of pure CBD required to achieve the same effect. And where pure, single-molecule CBD experienced a rapid drop in efficacy after exceeding a specific dosage was administered, an “overdose” of whole plant CBD-rich extract did not undermine the direct dose response relationship. When a larger than optimal dose of the whole plant extract was administered, its effectiveness plateaued, suggesting that a therapeutic ceiling had been reached.

The Israeli study found that whole plant extracts are “superior over CBD [alone] for the treatment of inflammatory conditions.” The improved efficacy of whole plant extracts might be explained by the additive or synergistic interactions between CBD and the dozens of other minor cannabinoids and terpenes along with non-cannabinoid plant compounds like flavonoids.

“It is likely that other components in the extract synergize with CBD to achieve the desired anti-inflammatory action that may contribute to overcoming the bell-shaped dose-response of purified CBD,”

The research also compared whole plant extracts with commercial painkillers and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs. They found that both pure CBD and the CBD-rich whole plant extract exhibited greater anti-inflammatory effects than aspirin which registered a slight inhibitory effect on TNFa production. When compared to the strong inhibitory effect of pure CBD and the CBD-rich whole plant extract, this effect was negligible.  The key finding of this study is that CBD, in the presence of other active and essential components, improves the dose-response relationship and is further supported by recent reports documenting the anti-proliferative effect of cannabidiol on tumor cells.

To better understand how these two formulations differ, imagine being presented with two types of spaghetti sauce. In the first bowl, you’ll find a simple spaghetti sauce made out of pure tomatoes (CBD isolate). In the second bowl, you can find a more complex spaghetti sauce, containing roasted garlic and fragrant Italian herbs (full spectrum hemp oil). It’s clear that both bowls are holding spaghetti sauce – but the second recipe, which contains the ingredients of the first recipe and so much more, is more flavorful and interacts with one’s taste buds differently (also known as the “entourage effect”).

A lot of research has been done to isolate and characterize single constituents of traditional herbal medicine in order to better understand their therapeutic uses. However the recent data, which supports anecdotal evidence claiming that whole plant preparations are superior to single compound formulations, may lead to an entirely new generation of phyto-pharmaceuticals that can assist health challenges better than the alternatives and with no side effects. The therapeutic synergies observed in whole plant extracts appears to result in improved bioavailability, efficacy, and no adverse effects.

Oil and Water Do Not Mix
We all learned in grade school that water and oil do not mix.  If you are stubborn and must see this fact demonstrated, buy a bottle of CBD Oil or Full Spectrum Hemp Oil, pour it into a glass of water and neither will mix. They will indeed stay completely separated. Here is another factoid.  If you ingest an oil based supplement like CBD or full spectrum hemp oil, your body can only absorb at best, 6-10%. 

To get the greatest benefits, you need the greatest absorption.  It is ALL about the bioavailability of the product.Through our research, we have concluded it doesn’t make sense to spend money on a product that is oil because your body is just going to excrete 90%+ without using it at all.  We believe having products that have been made water soluble is the only answer.  Bottom-line, you get more bang for your buck and get way more actual results when you use a product that is clean, organic, cannabinoid rich and water soluble.

Looking for the real deal?  We have the best of the best and nothing else compares.  It all boils down to how effective the product is and our products are getting vastly better results for people than anything else out there. All products we offer are water soluble.  7 Full Spectrum Hemp Oil has a proven absorption rate of 85% while the Gold Standard in Full Spectrum Hemp Oil, UltraCell, boasts an incredible 99% absorption. 

Not only do our products have massive and immediate absorption, but they will work in your body for many hours and that is clinically proven.To experience the benefits of the whole plant, visit www.7LiquidGold.com and try our water soluble Full Spectrum Hemp Oil products yourself.

Our products are made from organically grown Industrial hemp and contains all of the 400+ compounds found naturally occurring in the plant. Our products have been made water soluble and  contain activated natural cannabinoids, terpenes flavonoids, vitamins and minerals which target the endocannabinoid system to promote a healthy inflammatory response while supporting the central nervous system.Just as important, every batch of hemp used to make this life changing blessing in a bottle is independently lab tested to confirm 0.00% THC in every single batch.

Which One is Right for Me?

Based on the comparison above, full spectrum hemp oil is way more effective than CBD isolate, making it highly recommended for people interested in holistic approaches to health challenges. Full Spectrum Hemp Oil is an extremely potent source of CBD (responsible for a large bulk of the oil’s cannabinoid profile).

The U.S Government has kept this amazing blessing away from us for 80+ years.  The only good in that realization is that has created an enormous opportunity for those who are looking to capitalize on an industry projected to grow by 700-800% over the next 2 years.  To learn how you too can position yourself to capitalize, check this out by CLICKING HERE>>>

Paul Crouse
Advanced Health & Nutrition, Inc.
Independent Zilis Ambassador

A large survey of over 2,400 cannabidiol (CBD) product users has found that 42 percent were able to stop taking prescription and traditional medications. Market research firm Brightfield Group and online community HelloMD collaborated on the largest study, which is the largest to examine CBD usage and efficacy to date.

Eighty percent of those surveyed said that they believe CBD to be “very or extremely effective” for treating their symptom or condition. About 66 percent of CBD users indicated that CBD was either “more effective” or “much more effective” in relieving their medical conditions than over-the-counter products, and 52 percent said CBD was more effective than prescription drugs.

“This study is exciting because it shows there is potentially a huge barely-tapped market for CBD products that could improve the lives of many people,” said Bethany Gomez, Director of Research for Brightfield Group. “With further research and public education, CBD could be an effective alternative treatment for many people, particularly at a time when our nation is in the midst of an opioid crisis.”

According to the survey, the most common conditions that people use CBD for include anxiety (67 percent), insomnia (60 percent), joint pain and inflammation (52 percent), and depression (43 percent). Others used CBD to help relieve muscle tension or strain, migraines or tension headaches, severe or chronic pain, and nausea.

The survey found that 80 percent of consumers use their CBD products at least once a week, and 41 percent use them every day. Seventy-six percent of participants answered that they would likely buy hemp-derived CBD products, or have used them in the past and plan to purchase them again.

“We are seeing an exponential rise in the interest of CBD products from our patient community – particularly among women,” said Dr. Perry Solomon, Chief Medical Officer of HelloMD. “While we still have much to learn about CBD, we cannot ignore this one fact; the majority of those using CBD product today receive great benefit. This has the potential for far-reaching consequences.”

CBD is an amazing isolate of the industrial hemp plant.  What is astonishing is how much more effective Full Spectrum Hemp Oil is.  Full Spectrum Hemp Oil gives you over 100 cannabinoids, not just the one CBD.  In addition, you have Full Spectrum Hemp Oil, you get all the natural occurring Terpenes, flavonoids, omega fatty acids, vitamins and minerals.  That is over 400 almost perfect compounds working together giving what is called the entourage effect.

So where do you fit in this paradigm?  Maybe you, or someone you love, has health challenges you would like to overcome and big pharma either hasn’t helped or you just prefer a better, cleaner and safer way.  Maybe you have clients or patients you would like to help without chemicals or toxins.  Maybe you need to insure the product you choose for you or others is organic, clean, natural and THC free.  Would also be important to get the most bioavailable products available for the most economical price?

The greatest news of all is you can now have all of your wildest dreams in one amazing solution.  We have two product lines that have zero competition.  They are so advanced and effective that people across America are achieving amazing benefits with a wide array of health challenges they are facing. Check these amazing blessings out CLICK HERE>>>

In addition, there is obviously a huge opportunity here as a distributor.  We call it a Zilis Ambassador and it is the most lucrative business opportunity on the Planet.  In fact, I believe we will have a greater impact on society than the iPhone has had.  To learn more, please reach out to me – Paul Crouse Paul@7LiquidGold.com or (317) 473-4466 or just devour my personal website www.7LiquidGold.com
Here is to YOUR health!
Paul Crouse
Independent Zilis Ambassador
www.7LiquidGold.com
 
 
 

​Story at-a-glance

• The cannabinoids in cannabis — cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — work by way of naturally-occurring cannabinoid receptors embedded in cell membranes throughout your body
• The fact that your body is replete with cannabinoid receptors, key to so many biological functions, is why there's such enormous medical potential for cannabis
• South Dakota has rescheduled CBD from a Schedule I to a Schedule IV substance by excluding it from the definition of marijuana
• GW Pharmaceuticals failed in its efforts to restrict Schedule IV classification to FDA approved CBD products only, which prevented the company from creating a monopoly in South Dakota
• The legal status of CBD oil as a nutritional supplement is now threatened by drug companies seeking FDA approval for CBD-containing drugs

By Dr. Mercola
The cannabinoids in cannabis — cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — interact with your body by way of naturally-occurring cannabinoid receptors embedded in cell membranes throughout your body. In fact, scientists now believe the endocannabinoid system may represent the most widespread receptor system in your body.1
There are cannabinoid receptors in your brain, lungs, liver, kidneys, immune system and more, and both the therapeutic and psychoactive properties of marijuana occur when a cannabinoid activates a cannabinoid receptor. Your body actually makes its own cannabinoids, similar to those found in marijuana, albeit in much smaller quantities than you get from the plant.
The fact that your body is replete with cannabinoid receptors, key to so many biological functions, is why there's such enormous medical potential for cannabis. More often than not, medicinal marijuana is made from plants bred to have high CBD and low THC content. While THC has psychoactive activity that can make you feel “stoned,” CBD has no psychoactive properties.
That doesn’t mean THC is medicinally useless, however. It too has been found to have a number of medicinal benefits, although it does need to be balanced with CBD to lessen its psychoactive effects. For example, recent animal research2 suggests THC has a beneficial influence on the aging brain.3,4 Rather than dulling or impairing cognition, THC appears to reverse the aging process and improve mental processes, raising the possibility it might be useful for the treatment of dementia.5
Drug Company Vies for CBD MonopolyAs reported by Motherboard, the drug industry is now pushing for legislation that would make CBD oil illegal — by turning it into a drug.6The article discusses a South Dakota Senate bill, SB 95, which would exempt CBD from the definition of cannabis, thereby transferring it from a Schedule I controlled substance to a Schedule IV substance. This would allow CBD products to be sold, legally, in South Dakota, where medicinal marijuana is currently not allowed.
This past summer, lobbyists for GW Pharmaceuticals and its U.S. subsidiary, Greenwich BioSciences, fought for an amendment to the bill that would have limited CBD rescheduling to products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — in other words, they wanted only CBD drugs to be legally obtainable.
“Not surprisingly, GW Pharmaceuticals has just such a drug in the pipeline. Epidiolex, a ‘proprietary oral solution of pure plant-derived cannabidiol,’ has already been given to epileptic children in the U.S. as part of a federal investigative studydocumented recently in the New England Journal of Medicine.” Motherboard writes. Epidiolex is currently under FDA review for approval.
“Since no other pharmaceutical company has a CBD drug anywhere close to market, and the wide range of CBD products already available in medical marijuana states lack FDA approval, if the bill had passed with that amendment intact, patients in South Dakota would have been subjected to a virtual CBD monopoly …
More ominously, The Great CBD Battle of South Dakota appears to be but the opening salvo in a nationwide war between GW Pharmaceuticals and traditional medical cannabis providers …
[U]nder the amendment, South Dakota would … ban myriad CBD products already available in many other states. Even though they cost far less than Epidiolex, and are potentially more effective for patients, since in addition to CBD those "full spectrum" cannabis extracts also contain small amounts of THC and other medicinal components of the plant.”
Study Confirms CBD Benefits for Drug-Resistant SeizuresThe randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study7 published in The New England Journal of Medicine in May 2017 again confirmed what has long been known: that CBD offers relief for children with drug-resistant seizures, in this case patients diagnosed with Dravet syndrome, a “catastrophic early-onset encephalopathic epilepsy, with a high mortality rate.”
GW Pharmaceuticals funded the study and was responsible for the trial design. The company also supplied the CBD and placebo. The active treatment was an oral solution containing 100 milligrams (mg) of CBD per milliliter, given in addition to the child’s current antiseizure medication regimen. The placebo was identical to the treatment solution, but without CBD.
The dose was gradually increased over the course of 14 days, with a maximum dose of 20 mg per kilogram of body weight, taken twice a day. At the end of the treatment period, the CBD solution was tapered down over the course of 10 days, reducing the dosage by 10 percent each day. Following is a summary of the main findings:

• Children taking CBD experienced a nearly 40 percent reduction in the frequency of convulsive seizures over the 14-week treatment period, from a median of 12.4 seizures per month to 5.9. In the placebo group, the median convulsive-seizure frequency decreased from 14.9 to 14.1
• 43 percent of patients in the CBD group experienced a 50 percent or greater reduction in convulsive-seizure frequency, compared to 27 percent in the placebo group
• During the treatment period, three patients in the CBD group were completely free of seizures. No patients in the placebo group were free of seizures
• When looking at all seizure types, the median frequency of seizures per month decreased from 24.0 to 13.7 in the CBD group (a reduction of 28.6 percent), compared to a decrease from 41.5 to 31.1 in the placebo group (a reduction of 9 percent)
• 37 of 60 caregivers (62 percent) said their child’s overall condition improved in the CBD group, compared to 20 of 58 caregivers (34 percent) in the placebo group 

Reported Side EffectsInterestingly, while medical cannabis is typically well-tolerated, with few side effects, a whopping 93 percent of children in the CBD group — as well as 75 percent of those in the placebo group — suffered adverse events in this trial.
Eighty-four percent of adverse events in the treatment group were deemed mild or moderate, and included vomiting, fatigue, fever, upper respiratory tract infection, decreased appetite, convulsions, lethargy, drowsiness and diarrhea. Eight patients in the treatment group withdrew from the study due to side effects.
Of course, these conventional investigators were clueless about the benefit of a ketogenic diet for the treatment of seizures, so that was something that was not evaluated in the study. This is unfortunate, as it would have radically decreased side effects and may even have been more effective than the CBD. According to the authors:
“Elevated levels of liver aminotransferase enzymes (alanine aminotransferase or aspartate aminotransferase level >3 times the upper limit of the normal range) led to withdrawal from the trial of three patients in the cannabidiol group and one in the placebo group.
Overall, elevated aminotransferase levels occurred in 12 patients in the cannabidiol group and one in the placebo group. All these patients were taking a form of valproate [editor’s note: a type of medication used to treat epilepsy] … There were … no instances of suicidal ideation … There were no deaths.”
As mentioned earlier, full spectrum cannabis extracts will not be pure CBD, as they’re derived from the whole plant. And, as noted by CNN medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, “ … [E]vidence is mounting that these compounds work better together than in isolation."8
It’s possible that “pharmaceutical strength” CBD might be too pure, hence the high rate of side effects. Regardless, there’s a significant difference in cost between a CBD drug and natural CBD oil, which in and of itself is of great concern for many patients and their families who now worry Big Pharma is trying to take over the cannabis industry.
Monopoly in South Dakota Avoided, for NowAs noted by Motherboard, “parents with children suffering from Dravet's syndrome and many other serious illnesses have been pushing for access to the "miracle drug" since 2013, when Gupta's “Weed” documentary debuted on CNN.” The program featured a 6-year-old girl beset by some 300 grand mal seizures each week. A CBD-rich cannabis oil reduced her seizures by 99 percent.
Following the airing of “Weed,” hundreds of families moved to Colorado to obtain the herbal medication for their ailing child. Other positive media attention has also helped to loosen the stigma surrounding medical marijuana. In 1969, only 12 percent of Americans favored marijuana legalization. Today, a majority of Americans favor legalization: 53 percent favor legalizing marijuana across the board and 77 percent support legal medical use.9 Even the new surgeon general has cited data on how helpful medical cannabis can be.
Unfortunately, medical cannabis may just be “too good.” Showing promise for a wide range of ailments, the drug industry sees cannabis as major competition, and rightfully so. In South Dakota, a scaled-back amendment to SB 95 was ultimately signed into law. South Dakotans who want legal access to CBD will still have to wait until Epidiolex gains FDA approval, but GW Pharmaceuticals was not successful in limiting the down-scheduling of CBD to FDA approved CBD drugs only.
As a result, GW Pharmaceuticals will not have a monopoly on the market. Still, GW Pharmaceuticals has reportedly contracted lobbyists in several different states10 to fight for its cause, and their combined efforts may well delay implementation of cannabis reform that could improve access to medicinal marijuana. As noted by Melissa Mentele, chairperson of New Approach South Dakota, a cannabis reform group, who herself found relief from chronic pain when she started taking CBD-rich cannabis oil:
“Cannabis patients and caregivers have organized and fought for decades for the government to look at cannabis as a treatment option. Nobody did until hundreds of patients bravely shared their stories. So, we as a community have done the work for them, and now Big Pharma wants to swoop in and use an unfair monopoly and an inferior product to profit off the backs of catastrophically ill and dying people. It is disgusting."
Indiana Cracks Down on CBD ProductsIn related news, Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb recently announced CDB oil containing THC, regardless of the amount, will no longer be legal in the state, and has instructed local police to “perform normal, periodic regulatory spot checks of CBD oil products.” Retailers were given 60 days to sell out or remove such products from their stores.
According to Indy Star, “Most of the CBD products being sold in Indiana contain less than 0.3 percent THC, meaning they can’t produce a ‘high,’” adding that “Advocates of CBD oil say those products don’t have as many benefits as full spectrum CBD oil products.” At present, Indiana law only allows CBD products to be used by epileptic patients, who must register with the state’s CBD oil registry.
Republican state Sen. Jim Tomes has vowed to introduce legislation that would expand access to CBD oil under state law. According to Indy Star, “He’s received calls from people who’ve used the product to treat arthritis, Parkinson’s disease and mental illnesses.” Tomes told the paper, “I just don’t understand why is there such a resistance to allow people to get this product here? You can’t abuse it. It either works or it doesn’t.”  The answer to Tomes’ question appears to be drug industry pressure. As reported by New Hope:11
“Indiana Attorney General Curtis Hill Jr. appears to be relying on a discredited opinion from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency on the legality of the hemp-derived cannabinoid, which must come from industrial hemp that contains less than 0.3 percent THC (the high-inducing cannabinoid).
The Nov. 21 advisory opinion was issued from the state capital of Indianapolis, which also happens to be the headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Co., which is seeking fast-track approval from the FDA for its non-opioid painkiller drug, tanezumab.12
‘As a matter of legal interpretation, products or substances marketed for human consumption or ingestion, and containing cannabidiol, remain unlawful in Indiana, and under federal law,’ Hill wrote in his opinion. This conclusion does not apply to any product that is approved by the FDA.
There are currently two products that contain cannabidiol undergoing clinical trials; Epidiolex and Sativex. Simply put, cannabidiol is a Schedule I controlled substance because marijuana (Cannabis sativa) is a Schedule I controlled substance.’”
Legal Products Confiscated Amid ConfusionThere’s plenty of confusion, however, as the attorney general’s opinion and Holcomb’s seizure instructions contradict a 2014 industrial hemp law that allows CBD products in Indiana as long as they contain less than 0.3 percent THC. The primary confusion appears to center around the fact that state law permits CBD as long as it is sourced from hemp and not marijuana.
In an effort to resolve the problem, the hemp industry, led by CV Sciences, has held educational meetings to explain the differences between marijuana and hemp-derived CBD products. The campaign resulted in Indiana state police issuing a statement saying that CBD products are in fact legal in Indiana as long as they’re sourced from hemp. All of this just goes to show that when it comes to cannabis and its derivatives, there’s plenty of confusion to go around, and it’s not always easy to determine the legal status of a given product in a given state.
FDA Issues Warning Letters to CBD ManufacturersThe FDA is also increasing its scrutiny of companies making CBD products. As reported by The Cannabist,13 four Colorado businesses have received FDA warning letters for making “illegally unsubstantiated health claims” on their CBD products. In a November 1 press release, the FDA said:14
“[T]he agency today issued warning letters to four companies illegally selling products online that claim to prevent, diagnose, treat, or cure cancer without evidence to support these outcomes … The deceptive marketing of unproven treatments may keep some patients from accessing appropriate, recognized therapies to treat serious and even fatal diseases.
The FDA has grown increasingly concerned at the proliferation of products claiming to treat or cure serious diseases like cancer. In this case, the illegally sold products allegedly contain cannabidiol (CBD), a component of the marijuana plant that is not FDA approved in any drug product for any indication.”
The warning letters15 also rejected claims that CBD oil can be classified as dietary supplements, as Investigational New Drug (IND) applications have been submitted for the CBD-containing drugs Sativex and Epidiolex (both by GW Pharmaceuticals). This suggests the agency is not just aiming to clean up the cannabis industry’s propensity to make illegal claims; it also raises concerns that the legality of all CBD products is in question now that CBD-containing drugs await FDA approval.  
Medical Marijuana Lowers Prescription Drug Use and AbuseWhile CBD has now been reclassified to a Schedule IV substance in North Dakota by excluding it from the state’s definition of marijuana,16,17 it still remains a Schedule I (illegal) controlled substance in most other states. This is tragic, considering the evidence showing medical marijuana lowers prescription drug use. One wonders if perhaps that’s one of the reasons why it hasn’t been rescheduled across the nation.
There are no other truly compelling reasons why addictive narcotics like OxyContin are legal, while marijuana — which is extremely unlikely to kill you even if you take very high amounts — is not. The video above features W. David Bradford, Ph.D., whose study was published in the journal Health Affairs in July 2016.18 As reported by The Washington Post:19
“[R]esearchers at the University of Georgia scoured the database of all prescription drugs paid for under Medicare Part D from 2010 to 2013. They found that, in the 17 states with a medical-marijuana law in place by 2013, prescriptions for painkillers and other classes of drugs fell sharply compared with states that did not have a medical-marijuana law.
The drops were quite significant: In medical-marijuana states, the average doctor prescribed 265 fewer doses of antidepressants each year, 486 fewer doses of seizure medication, 541 fewer anti-nausea doses and 562 fewer doses of anti-anxiety medication. But most strikingly, the typical physician in a medical-marijuana state prescribed 1,826 fewer doses of painkillers in a given year.”
Legalizing Marijuana Could Save Medicare Hundreds of Millions Each YearAccording to Bradford, the Medicare program could save $468 million per year if marijuana were legalized in all U.S. states.20,21 Already, $165 million was saved in 2013 in the 18 states where medical marijuana was legal that year. Similarly, a 2015 working paper by The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) states that:22
“If marijuana is used as a substitute for powerful and addictive pain relievers in medical marijuana states, a potential overlooked positive impact of medical marijuana laws may be a reduction in harms associated with opioid pain relievers, a far more addictive and potentially deadly substance.”
Not only did the NBER find that access to state-sanctioned medical marijuana dispensaries resulted in a significant decrease in prescription painkiller overdose deaths, it also led to a 15 to 35 percent drop in substance abuse admissions. So, it would seem medical marijuana — far from being the deadly drug it’s been made out to be — could actually save thousands of lives that would otherwise be destroyed by painkiller addiction and its lethal consequences.
It’s a real travesty that the U.S. Senate is more than willing to shell out taxpayer money to Big Pharma for addictive painkillers and the drugs to treat addiction when a safe and effective answer to the pain and opioid epidemics lies right before our noses.
Both CBD and THC Are Far Safer Than Commonly Used Pain KillersPolls show older Americans are becoming increasingly converted to marijuana use.23 Between 2006 and 2013, use among 50- to 64-year-olds rose by 60 percent. Among seniors over 65, use jumped by 250 percent.24 Pain and sleep are among the most commonly cited complaints for which medicinal marijuana is taken. Considering the high risk of lethal consequences of opioid painkillers and sleeping pills, medical marijuana is a godsend.
As noted by Dr. Margaret Gedde, an award-winning Stanford-trained pathologist and founder of Gedde Whole Health, there’s enough scientific data to compare the side effects of cannabis against the known toxicities of many drugs currently in use. This includes liver and kidney toxicity, gastrointestinal damage, nerve damage and, of course, death.
Cannabidiol has no toxicity and it’s virtually impossible to die from marijuana. It’s also self-limiting, as excessive doses of THC will provoke anxiety, paranoia and nausea. Such side effects will disappear as the drug dissipates from your system without resulting in permanent harm, but it’ll make you think twice about taking such a high dose again. Make the same mistake with an opioid, and chances are you’ll end up in the morgue.
Gedde also notes that cannabis products often work when other medications fail, so not only are they safer, they also tend to provide greater efficacy. In 2010, the Center for Medical Cannabis Research (CMCR25) released a report26 on 14 clinical studies about the use of marijuana for pain, most of which were FDA-approved, double-blind and placebo-controlled. The report revealed that marijuana not only controls pain, but in many cases, it does so better than pharmaceutical alternatives.

As you read the below article, just know there are companies that not only work, but are organic and flat out work....
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​A study conducted in late 2016 and recently published in JAMA found that almost 70% of CBD products sold online contain either higher or lower concentrations of CBD than indicated on the label. The study was led by Marcel Bonn-Miller, of the University of Pennsylvania, and included researchers from the Veterans Affairs San Diego Health Care System, RTI International, Americans for Safe Access, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
The study was flawed. However, it does bring to light some troubling issues in the CBD market. In the immediate wake of warning letters sent by the FDA to four CBD companies, plus the DEA continuing to assert that CBD is an illegal substance, the fact that a study asserting that two-thirds of CBD products sampled were mislabeled is a troubling development.
There were at least two problems with the study. First of all, there were a number of conflicts of interest. For instance, the authors received fees from the Realm of Caring Foundation (ROCF) and Insys Therapeutics (Insys). ROCF is a nonprofit that funds cannabis research. Insys markets a sublingual formulation of Fentanyl. It also markets Syndros, a synthetic THC product.
Second, the vetting method for choosing products was random and haphazard. Researchers only acquired eighty-four (84) products from thirty-one (31) CBD companies. They identified the products by conducting internet searches for the terms “CBD”, “cannabidiol”, “oil”, “tincture”, and “vape” and purchased products available online that included CBD content on the packaging. The researchers asserted that “all unique CBD extracts” that met their criteria were purchased. This is difficult to believe. At best, it was arbitrary. For example, a general Google search I performed for “CBD” yielded 116,000,000 results with no products appearing on the first page and only two (both of which were ads) appearing on the second. The “Shopping” filter provided more results, but actual CBD products (versus merchandise and unrelated hits) were scattered over hundreds of pages. An Amazon search of “CBD” yielded 8065 results, most of which were products that likely met the researchers’ criteria. The researchers did not indicate what search engine(s) they used, nor how they narrowed down the products (other than excluding the same formulation in other products by the same brand). All of my information was based on only one search of the most prominent of the keywords used by the researchers.
The researchers used high performance liquid chromatography, which is probably better than gas chromatography for this particular study since it does not use heat, which can convert the compounds during the testing process. Therefore the acid forms of the cannabinoids remain intact for measuring.
All in all, and despite its flaws, this study emphasizes the fact that accurate labeling is crucial. If consumers cannot count on accurate and reliable labeling then the industry stands to lose its hard won trust. This will almost certainly invite more government intervention.