CBD and Cannabinoids: Beneficial Plant Compounds or All Hype?

At the 2019 Ancestral Health Symposium, I managed to catch up with metabolism and fitness expert Mike T. Nelson, PhD. Mike was there presenting on a subject that many in the health space find both intriguing and confusing: cannabinoids and CBD. Really, who amongst us hasn’t wondered if using CBD will get us in hot water at the next work-related drug screening? And is it even legal?

On this podcast, Mike demystifies the terms bantered about when it comes to the cannabis plant.  What exactly is the difference between hemp, THC, and CBD anyway? He cuts through the marketing hype and talks about the specific health conditions that respond best to cannabidiol (CBD). He also shares exactly how he uses it to prevent brain injury during extreme sports.

Here’s the outline of this interview with Mike T. Nelson:

[00:00:11] Mike’s Ancestral Health Symposium 2019 talk: Mike Nelson - CBD and Cannabinoids: Beneficial Plant Compounds or All Hype? - AHS19.

[00:02:30] Charlotte's Web cannabidiol (CBD).

[00:03:33] FDA warning letters to CBD companies.

[00:03:43] Mislabeled CBD products (low CBD, high THC); Study: Freedman, Daniel A., and Anup D. Patel. "Inadequate Regulation Contributes to Mislabeled Online Cannabidiol Products." Pediatric neurology briefs 32 (2018): 3-3.

[00:04:06] Getting terms straight: Cannabis, hemp, CBD, THC, marijuana, and others.

[00:04:30] Cannabis found in 2700 year old grave in ancient China. Study: Russo, Ethan B., et al. "Phytochemical and genetic analyses of ancient cannabis from Central Asia." Journal of experimental botany 59.15 (2008): 4171-4182.

[00:09:40] Leonhart Fuchs cultivated cannabis sativa in 1542.

[00:09:52] Difficulty in differentiating between Sativa, Indica, and hybrid strains; Study: Schwabe, Anna L., and Mitchell E. McGlaughlin. "Genetic tools weed out misconceptions of strain reliability in Cannabis sativa: Implications for a budding industry." Journal of Cannabis Research 1.1 (2019): 3.

[00:13:20] Entourage effect; Study: Ben-Shabat, Shimon, et al. "An entourage effect: inactive endogenous fatty acid glycerol esters enhance 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol cannabinoid activity." European journal of pharmacology 353.1 (1998): 23-31.

[00:15:36] THC use associated with survival after traumatic brain injury (TBI); Nguyen, Brian M., et al. "Effect of marijuana use on outcomes in traumatic brain injury." The American Surgeon 80.10 (2014): 979-983.

[00:16:48] Animal studies support the use of cannabinoids for TBI: Maroon, Joseph, and Jeff Bost. "Review of the neurological benefits of phytocannabinoids." Surgical neurology international 9 (2018).

[00:17:55] CBD has a cerebroprotective effect; Study: Khaksar, Sepideh, and Mohammad Reza Bigdeli. "Intra-cerebral cannabidiol infusion-induced neuroprotection is partly associated with the TNF-α/TNFR1/NF-кB pathway in transient focal cerebral ischaemia." Brain injury 31.13-14 (2017): 1932-1943.

[00:19:11] Mike's pre-kiteboarding supplement regimen; Cerebroprotective effects of creatine; Study: Sullivan, Patrick G., et al. "Dietary supplement creatine protects against traumatic brain injury." Annals of neurology 48.5 (2000): 723-729.

[00:21:46] Pros and cons of CBD use. Safety: 1. Ahmed, Amir IA, et al. "Safety and pharmacokinetics of oral delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in healthy older subjects: a randomized controlled trial." European Neuropsychopharmacology 24.9 (2014): 1475-1482; 2. van den Elsen, Geke AH, et al. "Efficacy and safety of medical cannabinoids in older subjects: a systematic review." Ageing research reviews 14 (2014): 56-64.

[00:23:36] Cost of 300mg of Charlotte’s Web CBD Oil per day = $7.50/day.

[00:25:06] Rescuing energy metabolism in the brain; Podcast: The Latest Research on Exogenous Ketones and Other Performance Enhancers, with Brianna Stubbs, PhD.

[00:29:08] Effects of cannabidiol on cortisol; Study: Zuardi, A. W., F. S. Guimaraes, and A. C. Moreira. "Effect of cannabidiol on plasma prolactin, growth hormone and cortisol in human volunteers." Brazilian journal of medical and biological research= Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologicas 26.2 (1993): 213-217.

[00:31:19] CBD and sleep; Review of clinical trials: Kuhathasan, Nirushi, et al. "The use of cannabinoids for sleep: A critical review on clinical trials." Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology (2019).

[00:33:04] Top 3 potential uses for CBD: Sleep, head trauma, pain.

[00:35:10] THC and CBD for pain.

[00:37:01] Grasshopper for vaping tools. 

[00:37:28] CBD oils.

[00:38:03] Vaping less harmful than cigarettes; Studies: 1. McNeill, Ann, et al. "Evidence review of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products 2018." A report commissioned by Public Health England. London: Public Health England 6 (2018), 2. Walele, Tanvir, et al. "Evaluation of the safety profile of an electronic vapour product used for two years by smokers in a real-life setting." Regulatory toxicology and pharmacology 92 (2018): 226-238.

[00:40:30] CBD in beverages.

[00:42:26] Will CBD get you busted at work? THC amount might be much higher than the label indicates; Study: Freedman, Daniel A., and Anup D. Patel. "Inadequate Regulation Contributes to Mislabeled Online Cannabidiol Products." Pediatric neurology briefs 32 (2018): 3-3.

[00:47:03] CBD as an ergogenic aid. Review: Jorm, Anthony F., et al. "Gender differences in cognitive abilities: The mediating role of health state and health habits." Intelligence 32.1 (2004): 7-23.

[00:48:13] State-dependent memory.

[00:50:11] Work with Mike: www.miketnelson.com. Flex Diet Certification.