It’s time again for our readers’ mailbag, in which I place a mailbag over my head, and readers beat me senseless until I answer their questions. No, wait… I’m thinking of how the new CIA director operates. In this case, I’ll simply answers questions that showed up in the mail, no beating necessary. Sorry. #bongwaterboarding
Q: My grandmother, who has always been anti-drug, is now interested in trying CBD for pain and inflammation. She found some products on Amazon and even at her local mini-mart, and she’s asked me which one is “best.” I have no idea. Suggestions?
A: CBD can provide—for those who have an aversion to cannabis (especially those in the geriatric community)—an opportunity to experience the many benefits of cannabis. As far as what’s “best,” it depends on the user and what they’re using it for. But maybe tell your grandmother to keep the following in mind when selecting a product.
Is the CBD extracted from industrial hemp (tall, thin cannabis sativa plants that have virtually no THC in them) or is it “full plant extract” (the familiar type of cannabis plant from which we get smokeable buds)? As an “entourage cannabinoid,” CBD works best when taken with some amount of THC, which creates a synergistic effect and enhances the ability of both cannabinoids to do their thing.
However, a CBD product can’t have more than .03 percent THC if it’s going to be shipped across state lines, so most of these products you see on Amazon and at the mini-mart are produced from hemp. Now, hemp is great at doing many things, including absorbing radiation and heavy metals such as cadmium from soil, which is great for cleaning up contaminated soil, but maybe not so great for the purity of the plant you’re ingesting.
