Today, many people in recovery and not in recovery are falling to CBD to help them with mental illnesses, chronic pain, seizures, etc. There has been scientific evidence showing how CBD has reduced the number of seizures, insomnia, relief for chronic pain, and helped those who struggle with anxiety. But, the question we are asking ourselves today is how does CBD affect those of us who are in substance abuse recovery?
Is There Enough Evidence?
There have not been sufficient studies today for us to know enough about CBD and the effects it will have on a recovering addict. There is not enough evidence stating as a recovering addict, whether you will become addicted to cannabidiol (CBD) as a replacement of other substances. Using CBD to help someone going through withdrawals and to assist them with their cravings is one way to begin their recovery process, but, once you stop taking it, you may still have to face the withdrawal effects of not only the previous substances but now a possible THC dependence. While CBD may suppress your cravings, reduce your withdrawal anxiety, and you will feel better while using CBD; like an addict going through recovery, you are still using a mind and mood-altering substance.
Until further human trial studies on CBD prove the effectiveness of addicts in recovery and their long-term effects on the human body, we highly suggest you stick to a more traditional recovery approach of treatment and pursuing a 12-step approach. CBD is still new to the field of medicine and treatments, in the future, cannabidiols may be further tested and approved for treating men and women with drug and alcohol use disorders. For now, stick to the practical and FDA approved treatments and medications for substance abuse that will not put you in harm’s way.
Other potential uses of CBD include antipsychotic, antidepressant, and possible sleep aid, but, Bonn Miller says these “have been studied in animals, with only one or two examples of studies in humans.”
Is CBD Addictive?
The largest evoke for CBD is that it is is to be an all-natural and non-addictive supplement without any THC. One of the biggest concerns with CBD is it is marketed and sold as a supplement rather than medication. When buying this product, you cannot know for sure of the active ingredients and dosage that is written on the label, so this product may or may not contain other unknown elements. An adjunct assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine says, “Joe Bob who starts up a CBD company could say whatever the hell he wants on the label and sell it to people.”
With this being said, many distributors will claim their products contain “no THC,” and that their products are “safe.” This isn’t one hundred percent true. The purification techniques to completely strip THC from CBD have not yet been established. If you consume enough CBD, you will still feel the similar “high” effects as if you were to smoke or consume the marijuana plant. Without plentiful evidence on human studies, we are unable to pinpoint the effective doses as well as the dose amounts, when purchasing CBD online or at your local distributor making it challenging to know what you are actually getting and putting in your system.
It May Be Legal, But Is It Safe?
Though CBD may have been legalized in 47 states across the US, that does not mean every time you think you are buying CBD that pure CBD is what you are receiving. There have been many cases where people have purchased what they believed to be CBD, and they ended up in the hospital having seizures and losing consciousness. Barbara Crouch, a registered pharmacist, and the director of Utah’s Poison Control Center began noticing a few things going wrong in an emergency room in Salt Lake City Utah. These problems sparked her to take matters into her own hands. She went on to figure out how and why these patients using CBD were having these effects. Crouch drove to a local store that was popular for buying CBD and bought a bottle of Yolo CBD herself and took it down to the police department. It was found that these CBD pills tested positive for a synthetic cannabinoid called 4-CCB, and had no traces of CBD in them at all.
This is one example to show that if are you buying something legally, it doesn’t mean it is safe. There are many other cases of this as well in the addiction field. Substances such as prescription medications and alcohol are bought legally but can cause terrible side effects and addictions.
If you or a loved one are struggling with any form of substance abuse, and are looking for treatment options to help overcome these addictions. Reach out to us here at GH Recovery Solutions and we can help! Call us today at (888) 345-2025. We are available to you 24/7!