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The Schedule I status of cannabis and component compounds like cannabidiol (CBD) is being undermined yet again:
The US Drug Enforcement Administration has long held that the non-psychoactive component of marijuana, cannabidiol, is a schedule I drug. That is, a drug that has no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. But according to a preliminary report embraced by the World Health Organization this week, the DEA's long held stance is tripping.
In a preliminary report last month, the WHO's Expert Committee on Drug Dependence concluded—and WHO agreed—that clinical and pre-clinical studies of CBD show no evidence of a potential for users to abuse the drug or suffer any harms. Moreover, the experts found plenty of inklings that CBD has medical benefits, particularly for treating epilepsy. In its conclusion, the ECDD declared that the current data "does not justify scheduling of cannabidiol."
The ECDD's report is just a first glance, however. The committee, which is generally tasked with assessing which drugs should be internationally controlled (scheduled) and how, will take a more extensive look in May of 2018. Then, it will review cannabis overall, as well as other cannabis compounds.
CBD has shown promise in a trial as a treatment for psychosis:
An ingredient in cannabis called cannabidiol or CBD has shown promise in a clinical trial as a potential new treatment for psychosis, scientists said on Friday. Scientists conducted a small trial of people with psychosis and found patients treated with CBD had lower levels of psychotic symptoms than those who received a placebo. Psychosis is characterized by paranoia and hallucinations.
[...] In the trial, 88 patients with psychosis received either CBD or placebo for six weeks, alongside their existing antipsychotic medication. Beforehand and afterwards, the scientists assessed symptoms, functioning and cognitive performance, and the patients' psychiatrists rated their overall condition overall. "The study indicated that CBD may be effective in psychosis: patients treated with CBD showed a significant reduction in symptoms, and their treating psychiatrists rated them as having improved overall," said Philip McGuire, who co-led the trial.
Also at The Conversation.
Cannabidiol (CBD) as an Adjunctive Therapy in Schizophrenia: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial (DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17030325) (DX)
(Score: -1, Offtopic) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 17 2017, @12:51AM (11 children)
I used to smoke weed and my first hand anecdotal experiences amongst a large peer group is that THC at least enhances psychosis.
(Score: 5, Informative) by takyon on Sunday December 17 2017, @01:07AM (7 children)
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(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Sunday December 17 2017, @02:28AM (2 children)
"Potent skunk?" That sounds like something that one uncool uncle would say trying to jive with the lingo.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 17 2017, @02:40AM (1 child)
Also true though. I know a few people (including myself) who basically checked out for a couple of years after 6 months smoking a concentrated form of that crap. The solution wasn't depressants (it lead to us all drinking), the solution was just time away from drugs.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 17 2017, @04:29AM
That's odd. My experience after a year is losing over 40 lbs (getting very close to my ideal weight now), having a cleaner house, having a lot more money in the bank instead of wasting it on alcohol, other cosmetic improvements, and being a lot calmer and happier in general. I'm on better terms with my roommate and will be helping a family member through college next semester.
I suppose it doesn't have the same effect on everybody.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 17 2017, @02:30AM (1 child)
You think I read TFA? Not new to this or the green site are you?
How much weed do you have to smoke to realise it's having two opposite effects or that people who smoke it heavily do so to offset the long term effects of the drug itself? I don't think cannabinoids are the answer, they are simply a depressant like alcohol. Neither effect is desirable I'll still take a joint in a social setting but never a bong and I've still been caught out. IMHO people don't need medication, they need to come to terms with the behaviours and characters of themselves and others.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 17 2017, @04:59AM
If we're getting technical, there's no such thing as one drug called “weed;” there is no psychoactive molecule called “weed.” There's THC, CBD, CBN, and more. Those are the psychoactive molecules. “Weed” is a natural cocktail of helpful cannabinoid molecules that can supplement the ones the body naturally produces.
Also make sure your grower is not cutting the flowering cycle short. Harvesting too soon can result in a cocktail that has a qualitatively different effect than later in the flowering cycle.
Where does it demonstrate that the psychoses treated here were solely caused by cannabis flower?
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Sunday December 17 2017, @04:48PM (1 child)
Except the article is about CBD, not THC -- you can buy pot that is almost exclusively CBD with only a trace of THC and if it was processed, the THC could probably be removed completely.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Sunday December 17 2017, @06:57PM
1. That's a quote from the article.
2. I think most of us know that. The point was to respond to the dumb AC.
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(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 17 2017, @01:25AM (2 children)
I use it as a preventative treatment.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 17 2017, @02:49AM (1 child)
Against what? The only people I know who provable benefited from it were individuals with Parkinson's. Which isn't surprising. [businessinsider.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday December 17 2017, @04:32AM
lol! How much are you being paid?
Is your link supposed to support a Narrative you're trying to get across?
Thanks for correcting the record!