5 Ways to Stay Safe With CBD

Vitagenne_Lifestyle-JStrutz-071219-1320 — 5 Ways to Stay Safe With CBD vitagenne

CBD can be a great addition to your health regime when you play it safe! CBD has many great potential benefits that need to be balanced with risks that are important to understand, especially if you’re new to the world of cannabidiol. This article will help you understand what you need to know so that your CBD contributes to your health in a positive way, and to help ward off any potential problems.

1. Consider Your CBD Needs AND Your Job Requirements

There are three main types available on the market these days: CBD isolate, broad spectrum and full spectrum⁽¹⁾. CBD isolate is near-pure CBD, extracted from the hemp plant with all other components removed. Vitagenne's Hemp CBD Oil contains CBD isolate and is tested to ensure it does not include any THC. Full spectrum hemp contains other cannabinoids besides cannabidiol, notably, THC. It is thought that including other cannabinoids increases the effectiveness of CBD, known as the “entourage effect.” For example, Vitagenne's Full Spectrum Hemp Extract capsules contain a variety of cannabinoids. What’s significant here is that CBD may actually be most effective in conjunction with THC⁽²⁾.

Unfortunately, however, THC remains a schedule I drug in the US⁽³⁾ and is illegal in many other countries. Even if may be more effective to include THC, many people can’t afford to take the risk of compromising their job. Especially if you have a mortgage, kids or health problems requiring your health insurance, choosing a broad spectrum or isolate may be your best bet.

Be aware that there is a very small chance that hemp-based CBD may trigger a positive drug test⁽⁴⁾. Extremely high doses of 1000-2000 mg/daily can also lead to a false positive. However, this is far less of a risk than using cannabis-based CBD that includes THC!

2. Make Sure You’re Actually Taking CBD!

In December 2017, reports began surfacing about fake CBD making people sick⁽⁵⁾. The Utah Poison Control Center reported emergency room visits after five patients consumed what they believed to be cannabidiol but found to instead contain a synthetic cannabinoid - and no CBD at all! Symptoms included nausea or vomiting, seizures and altered mental states.

This is why it is very important to choose a reputable CBD company that utilizes third-party testing. After all, anyone can put oil in a bottle and slap on a label. Tests help ensure to the consumer that they are indeed getting what they pay for! Vitagenne uses independent third-party laboratories to test the cannabinoid profile in every batch, and can be found by scanning the QR code on the product page and on the box. All of Vitagenne's products are marked with the U.S. Hemp Authority seal, guaranteeing quality determined by a third-party audit.

3. Choose a Quality Product

We all like a good deal, but sometimes it really is too good to be true. Earlier this year, one laboratory tested 240 CBD products for 300 different contaminants⁽⁶⁾ and to see whether their labels accurately reflected the dosage inside. Over half of the products had inaccurate labels, some containing no CBD while others had 5-6 times the CBD as claimed on the package!

On top of inaccurate labels, 70% of CBD products tested were “highly contaminated” with toxins including heavy metals lead and arsenic, herbicides, pesticides, BPA and mold. One product even exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s safe levels for lead by 100 times!

This is yet another reason to choose a well-established CBD company that uses third-party testing. Vitagenne's third-party laboratories test for potency, including maximum THC levels, and bacterial/microbial contaminants such as yeast and mold. That way you can be certain you’re getting the CBD you need and nothing that will detract from your efforts toward health!

4. Consider Your Other Pharmaceuticals

Thus far, CBD appears pretty safe⁽⁷⁾. Doses of up to 1,500mg CBD for a period of 26 days have been documented without notable side effects. That’s a VERY high dose and most users won’t ever get close!

That said, there’s potential for interactions with pharmaceuticals that are important to consider if you’re also taking prescription drugs. There are no documented cases yet, but biologically it is highly plausible. Over 60% of pharmaceutical drugs AND CBD are both processed by certain enzymes, called cytochrome p450. At high doses, CBD may temporarily deactivate these enzymes⁽⁸⁾ and change how drugs processed by them are metabolized. Some of these potential drug interactions⁽⁹⁾ include macrolides, calcium channel blockers, benzodiazepines, cyclosporine, sildenafil (and other PDE5 inhibitors), antihistamines, haloperidol, antiretrovirals, some statins (atorvastatin and simvastatin, though not pravastatin or rosuvastatin), SSRIs, tricyclic antidepressants, antipsychotics, beta blockers and opioids (including codeine and oxycodone). Grapefruit also inhibits these enzymes, so if any of your prescriptions warn against consuming grapefruit (like Warfarin), it may not be smart to also take CBD.

If you’re taking other pharmaceutical drugs, play it safe by talking to your doctor before trying CBD.

5. Watch Your Blood Pressure and Possibly Your Liver

One study has found CBD reduces blood pressure⁽¹⁰⁾. This is potentially good news if you have high blood pressure but could be detrimental if yours is already low. There’s only one study showing these effects so far, so much more research needs to be done to determine whether this was an isolated occurrence or if there’s a real relationship here. But if you have issues with blood pressure, be aware!

A 2019 study looked at mice given the pharmaceutical Epidolex, the first FDA-approved drug containing cannabidiol to treat Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, two rare forms of epilepsy. This study found at very high CBD doses, mice showed signs of liver toxicity⁽¹¹⁾.

At the same time, one study has found that CBD reduced liver toxicity in mice given cocaine, CBD reduced liver toxicity in mice given cocaine⁽¹²⁾ and another found a “protective effect” in the liver against liver toxicity due to cadmium chloride⁽¹³⁾.

Researchers are learning about CBD every day, so if you have existing health conditions keep an eye out for news on new studies.

With High Quality, Well-Tested CBD, Most People Will Be Safe

For many people, CBD will be beneficial for their health and wellness. But it’s always better to be safe than sorry, so stick with reputable companies that use third party testing, and take care if you have health conditions or are taking other pharmaceuticals.

For many people, CBD will be beneficial for their health and wellness. Vitagenne's mission is to help support people in their everyday lives to reduce stress and promote self-care. It's always better to be safe than sorry, so stick with reputable companies like Vitagenne that use third party testing, and take care if you have health conditions or are taking other pharmaceuticals.

References