As beverage companies experiment with new ways to improve water’s hydrating ability while incorporating additional health benefits, they’ve embraced the use of CBD derived from hemp. Its biphasic properties are similar to those of alcohol in that small doses are uplifting, while larger doses suppress mood and energy.
In 2013, a hemp strain known as Charlotte’s Web drew national attention to the therapeutic benefits of cannabidiol (CBD), especially for children suffering from health issues that make them prone to seizures. Developed by six siblings known as “the Stanley Brothers”—the founders of Colorado-based CW Hemp—Charlotte’s Web represents one of hundreds of commercial CBD products now sold throughout the U.S. that contain THC levels of less than 0.3 percent. The efficacy of Charlotte’s Web and similar hemp strains paved the way for Epidiolex, a hemp-derived CBD solution approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) June 25. Developed by London-based GW Pharmaceuticals to treat patients as young as 2 who suffer seizures caused by two rare epileptic syndromes, Epidiolex is referred to by the federal government as “Cannabidiol Oral Solution” (CBD-OS) and could be legally available as soon as this fall. Historically, hemp has played an important role as a utilitarian plant; widely deemed a “superfood” today, it’s also consumed as a nutritional supplement. Once the regulatory floodgates are opened, consumer adoption of hemp-derived …
Within the last decade, scientists have discovered hundreds of biologically active nutrients called phytochemicals, which are found in whole, unprocessed foods. There’s pterostilbene, a powerful antioxidant found in almonds, blueberries and Pinot Noir grapes that enables cells to break down fat and cholesterol; compounds like lycopene, which colors tomatoes red, and anthocycanin, which gives berries their deep hues of blue. And of course, there’s the world of phytocannabinoids, cannabis-derived compounds including the famously psychoactive THC, as well as the less-known such as CBDV, a proven anti-epileptic. Food and health researchers have long concluded that while our bodies readily absorb these kinds of nutrients from whole foods, our ability to absorb synthetic, isolated supplements is limited at best. That’s exactly what cannabis researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discovered when comparing the efficacy of whole-plant cannabinoid (CBD) extracts with synthetic, single-molecule CBDs. As the pharmaceutical industry rushes to market synthetic CBDs, research points to what’s called the “Entourage Effect,” wherein compounds working together synergistically in whole-plant medicines amplify the overall effects and benefits of the medicine. When comparing synthetic CBDs with whole-plant extract, the Israeli researchers observed a narrow therapeutic window that limits the usefulness of the synthetic form and a …
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