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cBD anD your HealtH: an increasingly compelling portrait emerges l et's make one thing clear from the outset: At the moment, there is no proof CBD can cure cancer. However, as the science progresses, an increasingly compelling portrait of CBD's potential to alleviate cancer symptoms and cancer treatment side effects has emerged. What is CBD? Marijuana and hemp are discrete varieties of the cannabis sativa plant. Both contain cannabidiol, CBD, and tetrahydrocannabinol, THC. The primary difference between the two is that hemp contains a fraction of the THC. And unlike THC, CBD is not a psychoactive agent, which means users do not experience the mental confusion, drowsiness, or "high" that often accompanies THC. The speed at which CBD has ingrained itself into the U.S. commercial landscape is difficult to overstate. It can be found in everything from health supplements to bath bombs to cosmetics to dog treats to the kitchens of trendy restaurants. You can buy CBD chocolates, CBD-infused cocktails, even a line of CBD- infused coffee beans from country music's Willie Nelson. An August Gallup poll reported that one-in- seven Americans say they personally use CBD- based products, which have proliferated since a federal law legalizing this hemp-derived form of cannabis passed in 2018. Roughly 40 percent of those polled say they use CBD for pain relief, 20 percent for anxiety, and 11 percent for sleeplessness. "CBD has emerged as a go-to treatment of symptoms in all kinds of patients, including cancer patients," said Brett Friel, marketing director for KindPeoples, a Santa Cruz retail dispensary with locations on Ocean Boulevard and Soquel Avenue. "We're enthusiastic about groundbreaking CBD medicine produced right here at home." Every day more Americans are using CBD for a diverse array of medical conditions. In addition to its therapeutic potential with cancer patients, early studies suggest CBD might be an effective way to treat anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, and even schizophrenia. It's also shown been shown to treat pain associated with arthritis and diminish inflammation. In an era of pharmaceutical over- prescription, CBD is being hailed as an all-natural panacea that mitigates pain and anxiety. Its reputation as an "alternative health" remedy appeals to many demographics, particularly millennials. "These products are at the forefront of a movement destined to reduce a medical patient's dependence on costly pharmaceutical drugs," said Friel. "They're a great replacement for medications that have unwanted side effects, including appetite suppression." While CBD is non- psychoactive, there are those in the cannabis industry who believe the effects can be greatly enhanced in combination with THC. As a result, KindPeoples offers an array of products featuring a variety of CBD to THC ratios. "Cancer patients often lose their appetite as a result of treatment and pain medications. CBD and THC can counterbalance the pharmaceutical medication that curbs appetite. We've seen that the oral spray delivery form is especially effective for those who have a hard time keeping food down or are experiencing other stomach issues." KindPeoples offers a wide array of CBD medicines for cannabis patients, ranging from topical ointments, oral sprays, capsules, tinctures, and baked goods, to oil concentrates, vaporizer pens and dried flowers, according to Friel. "We're dedicated to ensuring the potency and safety of these CBD products through lab testing at SC Labs," he said. Seth Smith of the Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance confirms that veterans of the U.S. military who his nonprofit's dispensary prefer cannabis to prescription painkillers and other licit and illicit drugs with more serious side effects. "Veterans are not only finding benefits from using cannabis medicinally, but are also using it to replace pharmaceutical drugs that they are being given by the V.A. that they find harmful or more dangerous," said Smith. Seventy-nine percent of the Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance members queried in a joint study conducted by the Department of Veteran Affairs, Harvard Medical School, and the University of Pennsylvania in May reported using cannabis to treat both physical and mental health symptoms. Chronic pain was the most common symptom reported, followed by anxiety, PTSD, depression and insomnia. And nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said they used cannabis instead of another drug, most commonly prescription pharmaceuticals, but also alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs, according to the study. "Given that cannabis use is associated with a much lower dependency potential and risk of overdose compared to other substances with a risk of misuse, this finding could suggest a positive impact of reduced barriers to medicinal cannabis access among veterans," the study states. For those who would like to avoid THC altogether, Scotts Valley- based Source Naturals has delivered a CBD that is not derived from hemp or cannabis. SourcePure CBD is molecularly identical to cannabis or hemp-derived CBD but is made from orange peel. "We're thrilled to be able to offer a CBD that possesses distinct advantages over hemp- based forms of CBD," says Tom Grillea, CEO of Threshold Enterprises, the parent company of Source Naturals. "SourcePure CBD is non-psychoactive. Because it is 100 percent THC-free, it can't affect your cognitive abilities or provide any THC that might be a signal in a drug test. These attributes are particularly important to law enforcement, military, people in the travel industry and educators." by Ryan Masters bigstock.com

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