I have suffered with arthritis pains in both legs for a number of years and painkillers have had only a limited effect, so now I am taking CBD capsules — 10mg four times a day. But they’re not cheap. Am I wasting my time and money?
Frank Johnson, Rothwell, Leeds.
Most of us will have seen adverts promoting cannabidiol (CBD) — and proponents claim that it can treat everything from depression to chronic pain and even cancer.
But can the products that you buy on the High Street actually help?
There are hundreds of active compounds in the cannabis plant, many of which are being investigated for their potential health benefits, but it is CBD that has gained the most attention. This is partly due to high-profile cases involving children with epilepsy.
CBD is used to produce a pharmaceutical drug called Epidyolex, which is licensed for use in treatment-resistant epilepsy. But this is different from the CBD you can buy over the counter.
Most of us will have seen adverts promoting cannabidiol (CBD) — and proponents claim that it can treat everything from depression to chronic pain and even cancer. But can the products that you buy on the High Street actually help? A stock image is used above
And while there is some evidence from animal studies that CBD does have pain-relieving effects — it’s thought to act on receptors in the brain — it’s unclear whether the same is true in humans.
The human studies that have taken place have generally involved doses far higher…