Legality is unclear
- Any product derived from cannabis is a Schedule III controlled substance. Its cultivation, sale, use, and possession are prohibited by federal law.
- Many states have passed legislation permitting the cultivation, sale, use, and/or possession of cannabis products. Some are more favorable than others.
- The shipping of cannabis products across state lines is still prohibited by federal law. Shipping products from one “legal” state to another “legal” state is still against the law.
- The legal status of cannabis-derived products is changing. Making claims about the legality of any cannabis product is inappropriate and reckless.
Lack of regulation
No cannabis-derived product is regulated. There is no way to know the level of either THC or CBD in any available product. Companies claiming to produce CBD-only products have had their inventory confiscated. When tested, these products are sometimes shown to have trace amounts of THC.
Lack of clinical studies
There haven’t been enough peer-reviewed, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-controlled clinical trials to substantiate the use of CBD or THC-containing products to accurately state their benefit for cluster headache or any other headache disorder.
CBD Claims
There are a growing number of companies selling CBD products who are making unsubstantiated claims such as:
- No THC
- Legal in all 50 states
- Health claims based on anecdotal evidence only
There is no proof that hemp-derived CBD products are equivalent to marijuana-derived CBD products.
Health risks of vaping:
- it could cause lipoid pneumonia,
- there is no regulation or proof of what is in the oil,
- oil is not water-based so it’s not steam being inhaled, and
- formaldehyde (a carcinogen) is released if the plastic cartridge inside the pen overheats.
Other Important Information
New Study Finds CBD Products Still Dogged by Labeling Errors
https://www.leafly.com/news/health/cbd-products-still-dogged-by-labeling-errors
- 31% accurately labeled
- 43% contained more CBD than labeled
- 26% contained less
- Vape liquids had the lowest accuracy rate at 12.5%
- Some products contained small levels of THC that didn’t appear on the label
- Legality is a “confusing gray area”
- DEA published ruling; schedule I
- States have mounted raids on stores selling CBD
Is CBD Oil Legal? Depends on Where You Are and Who You Ask
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/cbd-oil-legal-depends-ask
- CBD is legal in 45 states
- Five states completely outlaw it: Idaho, South Dakota, Nebraska, Indiana, West Virginia
- Even in legal states, there may not be any licensed dispensaries or producers
- Some states have made it legal to possess, but not to sell
- CBD can’t be pressed or extracted from hempseed.
- CBD can be extracted from flower, leaves and stalk.
- Only Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska require CBD products to pass state-mandated lab test to assure label accuracy.
New DEA Rule Says CBD Oil is Really, Truly, No-Joke Illegal
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/new-dea-rule-says-cbd-oil-really-truly-no-joke-illegal
- Hemp is in the genus cannabis, so therefore illegal
- https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/schedules/marijuana/m_extract_7350.html
Companies Sue DEA Over Recent CBD Rule
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/companies-sue-dea-recent-cbd-rule
- Challenges ruling based on argument that DEA can’t create laws, only enforce them
Is Smoking Cannabis Bad for You?
https://www.leafly.com/news/health/is-smoking-marijuana-bad-for-you
- Smoke arising from the combustion of any plant material contains toxins and carcinogens
- Smoking cannabis associated with cardiovascular and pulmonary damage
- The pattern is different than the risks of tobacco smoke
- Secondhand exposure to cannabis smoke is probably harder on cardiovascular function than secondhand tobacco smoke. It impairs the blood vessels’ ability to dilate. The effects last longer for cannabis smoke
- The trouble is the smoke, not THC or CBD. It happens even when all cannabinoids are removed.
- Cannabis smokers tend to inhale more deeply and hold smoke for longer duration
- THC and CBD have anti-cancer, antioxidant properties
- Mixed evidence on cancer risks for long-term heavy smokers
Challenges of getting good study results:
- Cannabis smokers tend to also smoke tobacco
- Illegal status of cannabis makes good studies difficult
Anti-inflammatory, immunosuppressive effects of cannabis
- Beneficial for people suffering from inflammatory diseases
- Smoke inhalation causes physical airway damage
- Immunosuppressive effects make cannabis smokers more susceptible to respiratory infections
Summary:
- Smoking cannabis isn’t as harmful to lung health as tobacco smoke
- Cannabis smoking is associated with lung function abnormalities different from tobacco
- Regular cannabis smoking can cause physical airway damage and is associated with bronchitis
- Secondhand cannabis smoke exposure impairs cardiovascular function
- No evidence that smoking cannabis leads to emphysema
- No evidence of link between cannabis and lung cancer for occasional or moderate users
- More research is needed!
- Other methods of consumption do not carry many of these risks
You May Want to Avoid These Ingredients in Cannabis Oil Vape Cartridges
https://www.leafly.com/news/strains-products/cannabis-vape-oil-ingredients-to-avoid
- Burning cannabis oils produces same free radicals formed when burning cannabis or tobacco
- Vaping = heating without combustion
- Fine-mist vapor; no smoke
- Frequently mixed with thinning agents
- Some thinning agents produce harmful carbonyl compound when heated.
- Carbonyls cause cancer. Formaldehyde is a carbonyl.
Popular thinning agents:
- Propylene glycol
- Vegetable glycerin
- Polyethylene glycol – produces much higher acetaldehyde and formaldehyde
- Medium chain triglycerides
Pen devices
- Develop in countries without regulatory controls
- Not well-labeled
- Different heating sources and temperature
Reputable producers take steps to decrease risks
- Using terpenes as thinning agents
- Using distillation to produce thinner oil without thinning agents