Source: sctimes.com
ST. CLOUD MINNESOTA— More stores in the St. Cloud metro area are selling CBD and touting its pain-relieving and anxiety-reducing benefits. But is it safe, is it legal and does it really work?
CBD — also known as hemp oil or cannabidiol — is a compound derived from the cannabis plant that purportedly reduces anxiety, relieves pain and even claims to kill cancer cells. But limited clinical trials have been conducted on CBD and some experts are wary of the compound's health claims.
Others, though, embrace it.
Marie Schneider and her husband, Chris, opened a CBD-focused store in the Midtown Square Mall in May called CBD Hemp Dropz of St. Cloud. Schneider, who also works as a registered nurse, said she was inspired by her sister-in-law who opened a similar store in Springfield, Missouri, in December of 2017.
Her sister-in-law suggested she try CBD for her back pain. Six months later, Schneider is a believer in the natural oil's claims to reduce pain and better health. She's passionate about the product and it shows when she speaks about her customers.
"It's natural — no side effects — and it's not going to get you high," Schneider said. "There's no THC in any of our products. You will not get high. I think that's the most important thing we want people to know."
THC — short for tetrahydrocannabinol — is the primary psychoactive compound found in the cannabis plant.
Schneider's store sells CBD in a variety of forms, including water-soluble oils, suckers, pain patches, vaping liquid, lotions and even treats for your dog.
"Really, we should all be on it," Schneider said. "It's anti-cancer, it's anti-bacterial, it's good for your immune system, it regulates your blood sugar, it regulates your blood pressure, your thyroid."
But can a single remedy really cure all that ails someone? Or is it just a new snake oil?
"I actually thought it myself because it's new," Schneider said. "I tell people it's God's medicine. We were made to take it."
Is it safe?
Being a natural product free of the psychoactive compound THC, Schneider says CBD oil is safe to take and does not have any harmful side effects.
The World Health Organization (WHO) agrees. It concluded in 2017 that cannabidiol "does not appear to have abuse potential or cause harm."
But WHO does not recommend it for medical use. It does, however, acknowledge cannabidiol could have "some therapeutic value for seizures due to epilepsy and related conditions."
In June, the FDA approved a form of CBD to "treat seizures associated with two rare, severe forms of epilepsy," according to a statement by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. But the statement warns of the increase in "illegal marketing of unapproved CBD-containing products with unproven medical claims."
"The promotion and use of these unapproved products may keep some patients from accessing appropriate, recognized therapies to treat serious and even fatal diseases," according to the statement.
"...These products have been marketed in a variety of formulations, such as oil drops, capsules, syrups, teas, and topical lotions and creams. These companies have claimed that various CBD products could be used to treat or cure serious diseases such as cancer with no scientific evidence to support such claims."
Schneider said she does not support any of her customers stopping prescribed medications. Instead, she recommends anyone considering using CBD to combat an illness they are being treated for to discuss it with their doctor.
"I'm not a doctor, that is not my job," Schneider said. "My job is to tell you about the oil and give you information so you can do your research. And if you're not sure what you should be doing, contact your doctor."
Is it legal?
As long as a hemp product's THC concentration is below 0.3 percent, it can legally be sold in Minnesota, according to a Minnesota statute pertaining to industrial hemp passed in 2015.
Lt. Lori Ellering with the St. Cloud Police Department said there are no city ordinances pertaining to CBD oil, so the department is following the rules laid out in the industrial hemp statute.
"It's really new territory," Ellering said. "We're still working on navigating all that and working with our local businesses to make sure they are in compliance with any statutes that are in existence now and how these new CBD consumables fit into that."
To be legal, hemp products must have a THC concentration of 0.3 percent or less, according to the statute. Schneider said all the CBD products in her store have zero THC in them.
"It's the cannabis without the THC, and the THC is the intoxicant," Ellering said. "The THC is what makes you intoxicated, impaired, high.
"They are without THC or at such a low level… it's kind of like non-alcoholic beer," Ellering said. "It's a fairly new statute, so we're kind of all learning about it. We'll continue to work with our area businesses just to make sure they remain in compliance."
Does it work?
Its effectiveness depends on whom you ask.
Schneider enthusiastically talks of customer testimonials and success stories she hears from visitors to her store. But again, the WHO and FDA are skeptical of the substance's benefits.
Jon Scheer, a certified nurse practitioner with Williams Integracare Clinic in Sartell, has heard positive results from his patients who have tried CBD after traditional medicine has failed them.
"(I've heard from) parents that have tried it on their teenagers that deal with some insomnia and anxiety," Scheer said. "I've had patients as old as their mid-90s using it for insomnia and things like that."
Scheer has also had patients find relief from chronic lower-back conditions by using CBD. But he says the reason we don't see more official word on the medical uses of hemp oil is due to a lack of funding for official studies.
"There's such limited medical research done on it right now because there just isn't a lot of money behind it to do a lot of medical research," Scheer said. "It seems to be coming a little more to light because patients are seeing some benefit from it."
Schneider said she urges all of her customers to do their research before using CBD, and she is more than happy to go over literature in her store with any customers or skeptics who might have questions.
"I always tell people to do their research, Schneider said. "(That's) why we want people to come to a store like this. When you buy online you don't know what you're getting. We're able to know exactly what is in our products."
Schneider's store sells its own private-label brand produced in Colorado that she says is tracked from seed-to-sale to ensure the product's safety and quality.
If patients are looking to try CBD for a medical condition, Scheer said they should review any medications they are taking to avoid any potential side effects.
"From a medical approach, it's always good to have an open mind for some of this stuff," Scheer said. "But we always have to take a cautious approach when we try to guide patients to make sure there is not an interaction with the medications that they're currently on and making sure that they are using is appropriately if they do decide to use it."
And an open mind is what Schneider wants her customers to have when considering her products.
"Try something different from what you are doing and see what it does," Schneider said. "It's not going to harm you in any way, shape or form."
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