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Trendy CBD pain relief products don’t work and may be harmful to your health, according to new research.
Sold in many health food stores in capsules, oils, gummies, patches, creams, and drinks, CBD is marketed as a natural alternative to medications.
But now scientists from Bath and Oxford have discovered that it is no better than a placebo for relieving pain, and that unregulated products can contain other chemicals that can be harmful.
Professor Chris Eccleston, from the University of Bath, said: ‘CBD presents consumers with a big problem. It is touted as a cure for all pains.
The study, published in the Journal of Pain, found that the products contained varying amounts of CBD, from none to much more than advertised.
‘But there is a complete lack of quality evidence that it has positive effects.
‘It’s almost as if chronic pain patients don’t matter and we’re happy that people trade in hope and despair.
“Pain deserves an investment in serious science to find serious solutions.”
CBD, which stands for cannabidiol, is one of the many chemicals found naturally in the cannabis plant.
In the UK, CBD products sold on the retail market are not covered by trading standards, meaning there is no requirement for them to be consistent in content or quality.
The global CBD products market is booming – worth an estimated £2.4 billion in 2021 and projected to reach £48 billion by 2030.
The study, published in the Journal of Pain, found that the products contained varying amounts of CBD, from none to much more than advertised.
Some may also contain chemicals other than CBD, which may be harmful or illegal, including THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis.
They found that consumption of CBD products is linked to higher rates of serious adverse events, including liver toxicity.
Dr Andrew Moore, from the University of Oxford, said: “For many people, there is no medication to control their chronic pain.
‘Chronic pain can be terrible, so they are highly motivated to find pain relief by any means.
“This makes them vulnerable to the wild promises made about CBD.”
He added that health care regulators appear reluctant to act against false claims made by some CBD product manufacturers, particularly when the products are widely considered harmless.
“What this means is that there is no consumer protection,” he said.
“And without a compensatory body to keep CBD sellers in line, the false promises being made about CBD’s pain-relieving effects are unlikely to abate in the coming years.”