HUNTINGTON, Ind. (FDN) In the recent wave of health trends, the Huntington community has taken particular interest in CBD oil. Businesses specializing in this product have popped up throughout town. Because of its close relationship to marijuana, the question on the minds of students at Huntington University is “What does HU think about CBD?”
At this time, HU holds no stance on CBD products. Dr. Ron Coffey, Vice President of Student Life, confirmed that there is no policy and, therefore, no penalties for having CBD on campus. However, he does caution anyone who chooses to use it.
“I’m not going to encourage people to use a product that I don’t know how it’s processed and that is poorly regulated,” said Coffey. “But clearly the absence of a policy would indicate that certainly, if someone chose to use it, I would just say ‘buyer, beware.”
While the product is legal, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only approved one form of CBD treatment for rare and severe forms of epilepsy. The FDA has not approved all other CBD products, citing limited information on effects it has on the body.
CBD is one of the many compounds found in the cannabis plant. Marijuana contains both CBD and THC which is the compound that produces the “high” one gets from smoking or eating the plant. Research supports the use of CBD to treat things such as anxiety and panic disorders, insomnia (difficulty sleeping), and arthritis. Beau Links, DO, practices medicine at Parkview Health-Family Medicine in Huntington. In a blog post on Parkview Health’s website titled “Is CBD oil as effective as advertised? A bit of research pays off,” Links states that his recent scientific trials and studies have turned him from a skeptic to an optimist.
“Probably the most exciting, and unexpected, benefit of CBD oil was in its anti-tumor effects,” said Links. “CBD oil has been shown in small trials to reduce the replication and invasion of breast and thyroid cancer cells and reduce the replication of leukemia and lymphoma cell lines.”
Other physicians cite concerns with side effects and “unreliability of the purity and dosage of CBD in products.”
Officials encourage you to consult your doctor before using CBD oils.