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Hong Kong is criminalizing CBD as a ‘dangerous drug’ alongside heroin
Hong Kong
CNN
—
Two years ago, cannabidiol was booming in Hong Kong. The compound, known as CBD, was popping up in cafes, restaurants and stores, with businesses eager to join an exciting new market already well-established in countries around the world.
That all came to an end on Wednesday, when CBD was criminalized in the city and declared a “dangerous drug” on the same level as heroin and fentanyl.
CBD is a chemical found in hemp and marijuana plants. It’s non-psychoactive, meaning it won’t get you high; instead, CBD is often marketed for everything from helping to relieve pain and inflammation to reducing stress and anxiety.
It has surged in global popularity in recent years, with brands adding it to shampoos, drinks, body oils, gummy bears and dog treats. In the United States and Europe, you might find it sold in coffee shops and farmers’ markets, mom-and-pop and high-end department stores, and even drugstore chain CVS.
But last June, draft legislation banning CBD was introduced to Hong Kong lawmakers, and went into effect February 1.
Under the new legislation, possession and consumption of any amount of CBD is punishable by seven years in prison and a fine of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,607). Manufacturing, importing or exporting CBD is punishable by life imprisonment.
Even travelers could face penalties, with the government warning people not to risk “buying these products or bringing them back to Hong Kong.”
The same penalties and conditions apply for cannabis, also known as marijuana.
The ban has forced CBD-focused businesses to close, while other brands have had to roll back or get rid of CBD products.
“It’s a shame because there’s a missed opportunity for sure,” said Luke Yardley, founder of Yardley Brothers Craft Brewery, which had previously sold four products containing CBD – a lager and three nonalcoholic drinks. “I think that anything that you can’t get intoxicated from, and helps you to relax, is probably a good thing.”
The health benefits and risks of CBD have long been debated. In the US, most CBD products are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which means that people can purchase items off the shelf.
Some research has found that the compound can ease pain and may be useful for those who have trouble sleeping. The FDA has approved one drug with CBD to treat rare, severe forms of epilepsy.
But concerns have also been raised, with some experts saying there isn’t enough scientific research into how CBD works or its potential effects.
In January, the FDA announced CBD products will require a new regulatory pathway in the US, saying: “We have not found adequate evidence to determine how much CBD can be consumed, and for how long, before causing harm.”
In Hong Kong, which has strict cannabis laws, the government’s concern revolves around the possible presence of its sister compound THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in CBD products. THC is also found in cannabis plants and is responsible for the “high.”
In the US and Europe, CBD products can carry up to 0.3% – a trace amount – of THC, but even that is not acceptable in Hong Kong. And while CBD products could avoid this trace amount by using a pure form of CBD, most manufacturers mix other compounds for higher potency.
From 2019 to early 2022, Hong Kong authorities launched nearly 120 “operations” seizing and testing CBD products from restaurants and shops to warehouses, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said last year. He added that more than 3,800 products were found to contain THC, though did not give further detail on the proportion or percentage of THC in those products.
In a written response to questions raised in the Legislative Council, Tang suggested the government’s traditionally tough stance on THC should be applied to CBD “to protect public heath.”
“We have adopted ‘zero tolerance’ towards drugs and we understand that it is a matter of public concern,” he said. “Therefore, the government plans to control CBD.”
The Action Committee Against Narcotics, a group of representatives from “the fields of social work, education, medical and community service” that advises the government on anti-drug policy, said in a statement last November that it supported the CBD ban and the government’s goal of “a drug-free Hong Kong.”
Many businesses began bracing themselves for regulatory changes in 2022, ahead of the government’s official announcement this January.
Yardley Brothers Craft Brewery stopped making its CBD beverages late last year in anticipation of the ban, and all its leftover products had sold out by December, said Yardley.
He said the CBD drinks had been “very popular,” amounting to roughly 8% of the business, as they offered adults a nonalcoholic option to enjoy when out with friends. At some bars, regulars “come in every weekend for a glass of CBD lemonade,” he said.
Now “there’s less choice for consumers in Hong Kong. That’s not necessarily a step in the right direction,” he said.
Some companies have been forced to shut down completely.
Med Chef, a restaurant that opened in 2021, once boasted of offering Hong Kong’s “first full menu of CBD-infused cocktails, appetizers and entrees.” In a news release during its launch, the restaurant founder emphasized the health and wellness benefits of CBD.
But by early November 2022, it had closed its doors. “We have worked hard in the past to present CBD in its most acceptable form and integrate our food and beverage concepts,” the restaurant wrote in a farewell post on Instagram. “It’s a pity that things didn’t go the way we hoped. Under the latest policies of those in power, we ultimately aren’t able to continue forward with everyone.”
Hong Kong’s first CBD cafe, Found, had also made headlines when it opened in 2020. It sold a variety of CBD products including infused coffee and beers, oils to help sleep, powder to sprinkle into food and pet products to help ease stiff joints.
It closed at the end of September 2022, telling patrons on Instagram that their positive feedback had shown that “CBD could help to cope with the stresses of daily life.”
“Sadly, in spite of the demonstrable positive impact, it has now become apparent that the Hong Kong government intends to adopt new legislation to prohibit the sale and possession of CBD,” it wrote.
Yardley said the government’s concerns about THC were valid – but argued they could have implemented better regulations, such as requiring certifications or standards of safety around CBD samples.
“It’s quite an extreme response to just fully ban it,” he said.
And while the brewery will continue operating, with plans for alternative nonalcoholic beverages to fill the gap, Yardley hopes CBD will be back on the menu. “I hope for the future that it might become legal again,” he said.
This story has been updated to include details of the draft legislation and its introduction.
FDA calls on Congress to create new regulations for hemp-derived CBD products
Deanie Elsner on her business and the future of the CBD industry
The FDA called on Congress to create a new regulatory framework for CBD products on Thursday, saying that current federal safety standards aren’t equipped to handle the burgeoning industry.
CBD, or cannabidiol, is a hemp-derived compound that is offered in a wide variety of products, including lotions, tinctures, drinks, and even pet supplements. Because hemp has less than .3% THC, the mind-altering substance in marijuana, the products do not cause a “high.”
FILE PHOTO: CBD oil is seen displayed at The Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition (CWCBExpo) trade show in New York City, New York, U.S., May 30, 2019. (Reuters/Mike Segar/File Photo / Reuters Photos)
Proponents of CBD have touted it as a natural remedy for pain relief, anxiety, and other ailments, but the FDA said that there are still too many unknowns about the products to regulate them as food or supplements.
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CBD could potentially be harmful to the liver, the male reproductive system, and pregnant women, officials said Thursday.
“A new regulatory pathway would benefit consumers by providing safeguards and oversight to manage and minimize risks related to CBD products,” FDA Deputy Commissioner Dr. Janet Woodcock said in a statement.
“Some risk management tools could include clear labels, prevention of contaminants, CBD content limits, and measures, such as minimum purchase age, to mitigate the risk of ingestion by children.”
A mature CBD hemp plant is seen in a greenhouse at the John C. Pair Horticultural Center in Haysville, Kansas, U.S. October 29, 2019. (Reuters/Nick Oxford / Reuters Photos)
The CBD market was valued at $9.1 billion worldwide in 2021 and could reach $59.3 billion by 2030, according to a report last year by Market Research Future.
PROCTOR & GAMBLE RAISING PRICES AS INFLATION PERSISTS
Chase Terwilliger, the CEO of Balanced Health Botanicals, said that the lack of action by the FDA could suppress the industry long-term and scare away vital investments in the industry.
“We are going on five years with no regulation being blamed on concerns for health implications and we need those investments to support research that showcases the benefits and effectiveness of CBD use – and helps develop dosage guidelines based on those concerns,” Terwilliger told FOX Business on Thursday.
“The bigger problem is this will also let bad actors continue to flourish – those who are making a bad name for CBD are going unregulated and casting doubt over the industry.”
CBD oil for pets on display at the Southern Hemp Expo at the Williamson County Agricultural Exposition Park in Franklin, TN on Friday, Sept. 6, 2019. ( (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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The FDA also denied petitions from three advocacy groups on Thursday that asked the agency to allow CBD to be marketed as a dietary supplement.
Cannabis compound CBD stops coronavirus in test tube, but can it treat COVID?
Jan 25 (Reuters) – Early research suggesting that a popular non-psychoactive compound derived from marijuana might help prevent or treat COVID-19 warrants further investigation in rigorous clinical trials, researchers say.
Several recent laboratory studies of cannabidiol, or CBD, have shown promising results, attracting media attention.
However, many other potential COVID treatments that showed promise in test tubes, from hydroxychloroquine to various drugs used to treat cancer and other diseases, ultimately failed to show benefit for COVID-19 patients once studied in clinical trials.
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Marsha Rosner of the University of Chicago led a team that found CBD appeared to help curb SARS-CoV-2 in infected cells in laboratory experiments. “Our findings do not say this will work in patients. Our findings make a strong case for a clinical trial,” she said.
Using small doses of highly purified CBD that approximate what patients receive in an oral drug already approved for severe epilepsy, Rosner and colleagues found that CBD did not keep the coronavirus from infecting cells in test tubes.
Rather, it acted soon after the virus entered the cells, blocking it from making copies of itself in part via effects on the inflammatory protein interferon. They found similar effects in infected mice, according to a report in Science Advances.
When they looked at a group of adults with severe epilepsy, the researchers found those who were taking the approved CBD drug had lower rates of COVID-19. But a backward look at a small number of patients does not yield conclusive information. Only randomized clinical trials can do that, Rosner said.
“I know my message is not something people want to hear,” she said.
Small doses of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) – the marijuana ingredient that causes the high – cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), cannabidivarin (CBDV), cannabichromene (CBC), and cannabigerol (CBG) did not keep the virus out of cells or prevent it from replicating, her team found.
“Not only did THC not work, but combining it with CBD prevented CBD from working,” Rosner said.
NO COVID CURES AT CBD DISPENSARY
A separate team reported recently in the Journal of Natural Products that high doses of CBG and CBDA do prevent the coronavirus from breaking into cells.
Richard van Breemen from Oregon State University told Reuters that the doses his team tested were non-toxic to cells. It is not clear yet that similarly high doses would be safe for humans, his team said.
“You want the lowest possible effective dose,” Rosner said, because of potential side effects as the drug is filtered through the liver.
The CBD her team tested was more than 98% pure, while purity in commercial products is far lower. “People should not run out and get CBD from their favorite dispensary,” she said.
CBD products have become widely available in many forms and have been touted – often without proof from clinical trials – as treatments for pain and other ailments.
Small CBD trials in humans with COVID-19 are underway.
In one completed study, researchers in Brazil randomly assigned 105 patients with mild or moderate COVID-19 to receive CBD or a placebo for 14 days along with standard care. The CBD had no apparent effect, according to an October report in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
In a proof-of-concept study at Sheba Medical Center in Israel, researchers are randomly assigning patients with mild COVID to receive CBD or a placebo.
An early-stage trial at Rabin Medical Center, also in Israel, aims to test the effect of CBD in severely or critically ill patients. However, study leader Dr. Moshe Yeshurun told Reuters that accruing participants has been difficult because the current Omicron-driven coronavirus wave “consists mostly of patients with mild to moderate disease.”
Rosner’s team is exploring the possibility of a clinical trial that would likely focus on asymptomatic or mild cases of COVID. Meanwhile, she is concerned that media reports overstating the potential of cannabinoids will lead people to self-medicate with CBD, stop using masks and avoid vaccines.
“We would love to be able to say specifically” that a certain dose of cannabinoids is helpful, she said, but at this point, “vaccine-induced antibodies and antibody drugs are much more effective at blocking infection.”
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Reporting by Nancy Lapid; Editing by Michele Gershberg and Bill Berkrot
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Cannabis compounds prevent coronavirus from entering human cells
A new study published by researchers at Oregon State University found hemp compounds have the ability to prevent the virus that causes COVID-19 from entering human cells.
Findings of the study led by Richard van Breemen, a researcher with Oregon State’s Global Hemp Innovation Center, College of Pharmacy and Linus Pauling Institute, were published this week in the Journal of Natural Products.
Hemp, known scientifically as cannabis sativa, is a source of fiber, food and animal feed, and multiple hemp extracts and compounds are added to cosmetics, body lotions, dietary supplements and food, van Breemen said.
According to a press release from OSU, Van Breemen and collaborators, including scientists at Oregon Health & Science University, found that a pair of cannabinoid acids bind to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, blocking a critical step in the process the virus uses to infect people.
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The compounds are cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, and cannabidiolic acid, CBDA, and the spike protein is the same drug target used in COVID-19 vaccines and antibody therapy. A drug target is any molecule critical to the process a disease follows, meaning its disruption can thwart infection or disease progression.
“These cannabinoid acids are abundant in hemp and in many hemp extracts,” van Breemen said. “They are not controlled substances like THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and have a good safety profile in humans. And our research showed the hemp compounds were equally effective against variants of SARS-CoV-2, including variant B.1.1.7, which was first detected in the United Kingdom, and variant B.1.351, first detected in South Africa.” Those two variants are also known the alpha and beta variant, respectively.
So what’s the difference between CBD, something you can buy off the shelf in Michigan, and CBDA? According to Montkush, “the main difference between CBDA and CBD is that CBDA is a precursor chemical to Cannabidiol (CBD), similar but not acidic. What that means is that it’s a natural compound found in the raw plant. As with many other cannabinoids, CBDA undergoes a transformation when cannabis is processed. When the plant is heated, cured, or dried, acidic compounds break down into new chemicals. This is the process that produces large amounts of CBD from CBDA.” (Read more here)
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“Any part of the infection and replication cycle is a potential target for antiviral intervention, and the connection of the spike protein’s receptor binding domain to the human cell surface receptor ACE2 is a critical step in that cycle,” he said. “That means cell entry inhibitors, like the acids from hemp, could be used to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and also to shorten infections by preventing virus particles from infecting human cells. They bind to the spike proteins so those proteins can’t bind to the ACE2 enzyme, which is abundant on the outer membrane of endothelial cells in the lungs and other organs.”
Related: U-M study: Natural COVID infections provide protection against reinfection, two variants
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Using compounds that block virus-receptor interaction has been helpful for patients with other viral infections, he notes, including HIV-1 and hepatitis.
“We identified several cannabinoid ligands and ranked them by affinity to the spike protein,” van Breemen said. “The two cannabinoids with the highest affinities for the spike protein were CBDA and CGBA, and they were confirmed to block infection.
“One of the primary concerns in the pandemic is the spread of variants, of which there are many, and B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 are among the most widespread and concerning,” he added. “These variants are well known for evading antibodies against early lineage SARS-CoV-2, which is obviously concerning given that current vaccination strategies rely on the early lineage spike protein as an antigen. Our data show CBDA and CBGA are effective against the two variants we looked at, and we hope that trend will extend to other existing and future variants.”
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Van Breemen said resistant variants could still arise amid widespread use of cannabinoids but that the combination of vaccination and CBDA/CBGA treatment should make for a much more challenging environment for SARS-CoV-2.
“Our earlier research reported on the discovery of another compound, one from licorice, that binds to the spike protein too,” he said. “However, we did not test that compound, licochalcone A, for activity against the live virus yet. We need new funding for that.”
Timothy Bates, Jules Weinstein, Hans Leier, Scotland Farley and Fikadu Tafesse of OHSU also contributed to the cannabinoid study.
Related: Officials warn of fentanyl-laced marijuana in Michigan, call it ‘emerging public health threat’
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Woman jailed for throwing killer litter from 50th floor in CBD
SINGAPORE — After an argument with her boyfriend, a woman threw a speaker, a soundbar and a television set from her 50th-floor unit along Shenton Way.
Lluen Saenz Maria Isabel, a 49-year-old Peruvian, was jailed for seven weeks on Tuesday (19 October), after she pleaded guilty to one count of committing a rash act which endangered the safety of others.
In mitigation, her lawyer told the court that her then-boyfriend, now husband, had cheated on her during his trips to Batam. The couple had been living together for about two years in a 50th-floor apartment at V on Shenton, a 54-storey residential tower along Shenton Way
Saenz, a teacher at the Canadian International School, was about to end their relationship last year when the man assaulted her. She retaliated by flinging several objects over the apartment’s balcony railing.
Argument after dinner at Vivocity
On 21 February last year, Saenz’s boyfriend admitted that he had cheated on her. He attempted to patch up with her and agreed to get tested for sexually transmitted diseases.
Six days later, the couple watched a movie at Vivocity and had dinner at a restaurant, where they shared two bottles of wine. During the dinner, Saenz asked her boyfriend about the lady with whom he had cheated on her with. The man provided her with the information she sought and the pair later took a taxi back to their apartment.
At their apartment, Saenz accused the man of lying. She demanded that he leave the house and told him she would move his things out. They got into a minor scuffle and Saenz then moved the man’s television onto the balcony.
He told her that it was going to rain, but Saenz said she did not care, and threw the television over the balcony railing. The television landed at the carpark of the former Singapore Conference Hall and Trade Union House along Union Street.
The woman then broke a soundbar against the railing on the balcony and flung it off. The soundbar landed on the road. Saenz also threw down the man’s speaker, which also shattered on the road.
Her boyfriend later packed his belongings and left the apartment, which was in a mess.
At around 1am, security staff from the neighbouring building which housed the Singapore Chinese Orchestra, came to the main lobby of V on Shenton and complained that there was a broken television next to their van at the carpark.
A security supervisor from V on Shenton called the police at about 1.34am on 28 February. The security supervisor saw the boyfriend leaving and told him that the police were coming.
On 16 June 2021, Saenz restituted $1,000 to her boyfriend for the objects she threw off the balcony.
Litter posed high degree of danger to human life
Deputy Public Prosecutor Andre Ong sought eight weeks’ jail for Saenz, stating that the items thrown were not small and posed a high degree of danger to human life. Saenz had also thrown the killer litter at 1am on a Friday morning, which posed a danger to pedestrians and cars.
Saenz’s lawyer Anil Singh, said that his client had been an educator for 24 years. She arrived in Singapore in 2010 and began teaching at United World College on a part time basis before becoming fully employed by Canadian International School. She had tendered her resignation earlier this year due to her court case.
Singh added that Saenz’s husband’s conduct had much to be desired during their relationship. The last straw for her had been his infidelity during his Batam trip.
The pair tried to talk things over during and after their Vivocity visit, but Saenz wanted to call off the relationship, and told him to leave. The husband lost his temper when Saenz sought to collect his belongings for him and punched her, prompting her to throw his things over the balcony railing.
Singh added that Saenz had paid a heavy price, as it is unlikely that she could teach again due to her criminal history. However the relationship between the couple has improved since they married, and the man is now a devoted husband, according to his wife.
As Saenz realised she will be repatriated, she and her husband will be leaving Singapore.
Singh asked for a high fine, or a jail term of three to four weeks.
For committing a rash act which endangers the safety of others, Saenz could have been jailed up to six months, or fined up to $2,500, or both.
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After Woman’s Tumor Unexpectedly Shrinks, Her Doctors Wonder If CBD Oil Played a Role
Doctors in the UK say they’ve come across an unusual case of cancer recovery: A woman in her 80s whose lung cancer began to shrink without any conventional treatment, after she started taking daily doses of CBD/THC oil. Though it’s far from clear that the oil actually affected her tumor, the doctors argue that cannabis and its primary ingredients merit further research as a possible cancer treatment.
The CBD in CBD oil comes from cannabidiol, one of the two major compounds found in cannabis. These products can also include delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the other major compound that’s responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis. CBD oil and similar products are in a murky legal market in much of the world. In the U.S., only one medical use of CBD is currently approved, a high-dose version that’s meant to help relieve symptoms in people with certain seizure disorders. But cannabis and CBD oil are permitted to be sold and used in around much of the country, as well as in some other countries like the UK.
The patient in this case had experienced a persistent cough for months by the time she visited a doctor in February 2018. By the summer, imaging tests and a biopsy clearly indicated that she had lung cancer, specifically non-small cell lung carcinoma. Though she was a smoker and had preexisting lung problems, doctors felt her case was treatable. But after lengthy discussions, the woman chose to decline options like surgery or radiation therapy. Because of that, the doctors agreed to simply keep an eye on her cancer’s growth through routinely scheduled imaging tests.
Remarkably, the woman’s cancer started shrinking without any intervention on the doctors’ part whatsoever. Compared to the first imaging taken in June 2018, they estimated that the cancer’s size had shrunk 76% by February 2021. In February 2019, after a year of shrinking, the doctors spoke to the woman about her results, and she revealed that she had been ingesting a CBD oil product on a the advice of a relative since June 2018, usually at three doses a day. Other than a reduced appetite, the woman reported no side effects from her regimen, and the doctors couldn’t find any other changes to her prescribed medications, diet, or lifestyle (she was advised to quit smoking but had continued to do so) during that time.
“This case appears to demonstrate a possible benefit of ’CBD oil’ intake that may have resulted in the observed tumor regression,” the doctors wrote in their report on the case, published Thursday in BMJ Case Reports.
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Some outside experts in the UK are, for the moment, skeptical. In a round-up of comments collected by the Science Media Centre, Edzard Ernst, a retired professor of complementary medicine at the University of Exeter, noted that “case reports cannot be considered to be reliable evidence, and there are currently no data from rigorous clinical trials to suggest that cannabis products will alter the natural history of any cancer.”
Lead author Kah Ling Liew, a doctor in the respiratory department of The Princess Alexandra Hospital, told Gizmodo that the woman is still alive and being actively tracked. As of her most recent check-up this year, the cancer doesn’t seem to have made a comeback and has gotten so small that they can no longer measure its size through the scans she’s getting.
Liew and her colleagues are careful to note that they can’t know that the woman’s CBD oil habit caused her cancer shrinkage. But they say they can’t find another plausible explanation at this point, either. It is known that cancers can sometimes experience spontaneous regression, where the tumor suddenly shrinks without any clear reason in the absence of treatment, but Liew said that scenario is unlikely.
“Of course we are unable to confirm causation from this single case,” she said. “However, spontaneous regression in such cases are extremely rare. The only difference in this case was the ingestion of the ‘CBD oil.’”
Cannabis is already sometimes used to reduce nausea and other symptoms that result from standard treatments like chemotherapy and radiation. But as the team points out, there has been research looking at the effects of CBD and other cannabinoids on cancer itself, including some showing that they can directly affect the growth and development of tumors. However, they also note that animal studies have been mixed, with some even suggesting that cannabinoids boost tumor growth. In the medical literature, they managed to find one other similar case, where a person with lung cancer also experienced tumor reduction after CBD oil.
In the current case, according to the product supplier, the woman’s oil has an equal mix of CBD and THC. But in the other case, the patient was said to be taking only CBD. So the authors don’t know if this additional THC might have played a role in the woman’s recovery. Right now, there’s a lot of questions left up in the air—questions that at least need more attention and research, according to the authors.
“CBD/THC deserves further study as a primary form or adjunct for cancer treatment as the treatment itself seems to be minimally invasive,” Liew said. Of course, even if CBD/THC could help treat some people’s cancer, the authors wouldn’t expect it to be a panacea for all cancer in general, given how different an individual cancer can be from another. “There will not be a single treatment that works for every form of cancer,” Liew added.
Whether or not cannabis does anything for cancer beyond the nausea relief it can sometimes provide, the authors also feel that more could be done to communicate with patients about any alternative treatments they may decide to take on their own.
“Clinicians need to be aware that their patients may be taking non-conventional and unlicensed treatments without their clinician’s knowledge, and it is always important to consider a patient’s choices when discussing treatment options, i.e., being open and honest about potential benefits and side effects of treatments,” Liew said.
As for the woman herself, she’s understandably happy about her recovery.
“I am ‘over the moon’ with my cancer shrinking, which I believe was caused by the ‘CBD oil’. I am tolerating it very well and I intend to take this treatment indefinitely,” she wrote in an accompanying patient perspective.
Daily use of cannabidiol (‘CBD’) oil may be l
It may be worth exploring further the use of cannabidiol (‘CBD’) oil as a potential lung cancer treatment, suggest doctors in BMJ Case Reports after dealing with a daily user whose lung tumour shrank without the aid of conventional treatment.
The body’s own endocannabinoids are involved in various processes, including nerve function, emotion, energy metabolism, pain and inflammation, sleep and immune function.
Chemically similar to these endocannabinoids, cannabinoids can interact with signalling pathways in cells, including cancer cells. They have been studied for use as a primary cancer treatment, but the results have been inconsistent.
Lung cancer remains the second most common cancer in the UK. Despite treatment advances, survival rates remain low at around 15% five years after diagnosis. And average survival without treatment is around 7 months.
The report authors describe the case of a woman in her 80s, diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer. She also had mild chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), osteoarthritis, and high blood pressure, for which she was taking various drugs.
She was a smoker, getting through around a pack plus of cigarettes every week (68 packs/year).
Her tumour was 41 mm in size at diagnosis, with no evidence of local or further spread, so was suitable for conventional treatment of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. But the woman refused treatment, so was placed under ‘watch and wait’ monitoring, which included regular CT scans every 3-6 months.
These showed that the tumour was progressively shrinking, reducing in size from 41 mm in June 2018 to 10 mm by February 2021, equal to an overall 76% reduction in maximum diameter, averaging 2.4% a month, say the report authors.
When contacted in 2019 to discuss her progress, the woman revealed that she had been taking CBD oil as an alternative self-treatment for her lung cancer since August 2018, shortly after her original diagnosis.
She had done so on the advice of a relative, after witnessing her husband struggle with the side effects of radiotherapy. She said she consistently took 0.5 ml of the oil, usually three times a day, but sometimes twice.
The supplier had advised that the main active ingredients were Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) at 19.5%, cannabidiol at around 20%, and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) at around 24%.
The supplier also advised that hot food or drinks should be avoided when taking the oil as she might otherwise feel stoned. The woman said she had reduced appetite since taking the oil but had no other obvious ‘side effects’. There were no other changes to her prescribed meds, diet, or lifestyle. And she continued to smoke throughout.
This is just one case report, with only one other similar case reported, caution the authors. And it’s not clear which of the CBD oil ingredients might have been helpful.
“We are unable to confirm the full ingredients of the CBD oil that the patient was taking or to provide information on which of the ingredient(s) may be contributing to the observed tumour regression,” they point out.
And they emphasise: “Although there appears to be a relationship between the intake of CBD oil and the observed tumour regression, we are unable to conclusively confirm that the tumour regression is due to the patient taking CBD oil.”
Cannabis has a long ‘medicinal’ history in modern medicine, having been first introduced in 1842 for its analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and anticonvulsant effects. And it is widely believed that cannabinoids can help people with chronic pain, anxiety and sleep disorders; cannabinoids are also used in palliative care, the authors add.
“More research is needed to identify the actual mechanism of action, administration pathways, safe dosages, its effects on different types of cancer and any potential adverse side effects when using cannabinoids,” they conclude.
[Ends]
Method of Research
Case study
Subject of Research
People
Article Title
Lung cancer patient who had declined conventional cancer treatment: could the self-administration of ‘CBD oil’ be contributing to the observed tumour regression?
Article Publication Date
14-Oct-2021
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CBD store raided; Waukesha County sheriff investigates after two kids overdose
Menomonee Falls police and the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department raided a CBD store in Menomonee Falls on Tuesday. In a release, the Sheriff’s Department said it started investigating Superstar Buds after a non-fatal overdose involving two small children from a product their parent said was from the store.The store owner tells 12 News he was unaware of the overdose and keeps all of his products in child-proof containers.The release also states the department tested several products, and some contained THC levels around 20%. The legal limit in Wisconsin is 0.3%. Superstar Buds is licensed under the Department of Agriculture Hemp Program. The owner tells 12 News discrepancies or concerns with THC levels goes through the department through that Hemp Program. He said he did not hear from the department but instead was raided by dozens of officers at his store and home.“They skipped over the department of agriculture,” he told 12 News. “As us being a member of the program, we’re protected by the department of agriculture program, where if we have a product that tests over the limit it is the department of agriculture’s job to remedy the situation, meaning they contact us, they let us know our product tested over the limit, they give us the chance to remove the product, we remove the product, we comply.” The raid caused more than $100,000 worth of damage to his inventory. The shop is in shambles. Several customers stopped by while 12 News was there. They asked how they could help, and set up a GoFundMe to rebuild the store and help with legal fees.The owner faces five felonies.“We’ve never had any issues. We’ve been in good standing,” said the owner. “To us, it felt like you’re being stabbed in the heart with a knife.” He said it’s hard for him to believe that all of the products they took had THC levels above 0.3%. He explained that while he processes some of his own products, he also buys from suppliers. He said each purchase and process goes through a certificate of analysis from each supplier that shows the amount of THC per product.“As a hemp processor there is a certain amount of trust that we are putting into our sources,” he said.The Waukesha County sheriff did not confirm if the samples taken from the search warrant have heightened THC levels. The release indicated those samples, at this time, are believed to have illegal amounts of Delta-9 THC.The owner said he believes all his products are compliant and hopes he can continue his business for his customers that use product for chronic pain.The Sheriff’s Department will turn the evidence over to the District Attorney.
MENOMONEE FALLS, Wis. —
Menomonee Falls police and the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department raided a CBD store in Menomonee Falls on Tuesday.
In a release, the Sheriff’s Department said it started investigating Superstar Buds after a non-fatal overdose involving two small children from a product their parent said was from the store.
The store owner tells 12 News he was unaware of the overdose and keeps all of his products in child-proof containers.
The release also states the department tested several products, and some contained THC levels around 20%. The legal limit in Wisconsin is 0.3%.
Superstar Buds is licensed under the Department of Agriculture Hemp Program. The owner tells 12 News discrepancies or concerns with THC levels goes through the department through that Hemp Program. He said he did not hear from the department but instead was raided by dozens of officers at his store and home.
“They skipped over the department of agriculture,” he told 12 News. “As us being a member of the program, we’re protected by the department of agriculture program, where if we have a product that tests over the limit it is the department of agriculture’s job to remedy the situation, meaning they contact us, they let us know our product tested over the limit, they give us the chance to remove the product, we remove the product, we comply.”
The raid caused more than $100,000 worth of damage to his inventory. The shop is in shambles. Several customers stopped by while 12 News was there. They asked how they could help, and set up a GoFundMe to rebuild the store and help with legal fees.
The owner faces five felonies.
“We’ve never had any issues. We’ve been in good standing,” said the owner. “To us, it felt like you’re being stabbed in the heart with a knife.”
He said it’s hard for him to believe that all of the products they took had THC levels above 0.3%. He explained that while he processes some of his own products, he also buys from suppliers. He said each purchase and process goes through a certificate of analysis from each supplier that shows the amount of THC per product.
“As a hemp processor there is a certain amount of trust that we are putting into our sources,” he said.
The Waukesha County sheriff did not confirm if the samples taken from the search warrant have heightened THC levels. The release indicated those samples, at this time, are believed to have illegal amounts of Delta-9 THC.
The owner said he believes all his products are compliant and hopes he can continue his business for his customers that use product for chronic pain.
The Sheriff’s Department will turn the evidence over to the District Attorney.