By: Monica Zatarski, PharmD, RPh
What’s all the hype about?
In addition to anecdotes and social trends, the benefit of cannabidiol (CBD) has been affirmed again and again in scientific literature. CBD oil has a number of apparent medical benefits. Proponents say it can help with anxiety disorders, chronic pain, depression, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Crohn’s disease and dozens of other conditions. We have heard many stories of how patients on NSAIDs and opiates for decades have been able to wean themselves off medication by supplementing with CBD oil. It is possible that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is the most widespread system in the human body, with a role in a vast number of important bodily function.
It all has to do with the ECS, which is always trying to attain homeostasis, or balance, in the body and mind. Our bodies naturally produce endocannabinoids. Cannabinoids look for active receptors and act upon them. Imagine that cannabinoids are keys and the receptors are locks. When you consume CBD (keys), they search for receptors (locks) and when they find one that fits, they combine and messages get sent to the rest of the body.
Why should I get CBD oil from MD Custom Rx?
With the passing of the Farm Bill of 2018, hemp shops appear to be popping up everywhere. As the market continues to flourish, hundreds of companies – eager to get in on the action – have begun flooding the market. Today, you can hop online or enter a hemp shop and choose from hundreds of different brands and product options. So, what makes the CBD oil that MD Custom Rx carries any different?
First and foremost, there are vast variances in quality. And unfortunately knowing how to choose the good products from the bad isn’t so easy. As a result, consumers are blindly purchasing CBD based on what’s trending or which brand has the best marketing strategy. Often times, this creates an environment where low-quality products can be disguised as high-quality products. This can lead to wasting money, not getting the benefits you need, and sometimes even jeopardizing your health due to unsafe ingredients and/or toxicities. MD Custom Rx carries CBD oil that is certified to be free of pesticides, residual solvents, GMOs, artificial flavorings and fillers. We ascertain that this is true by obtaining a lot-specific, third party tested, certificate of analysis on each and every product we carry. In addition, the companies we source from are fully complaint with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) and only sold through Independent Pharmacies – because who better to know and understand quality assurance, dosing, potency and purity than your compounding pharmacist?
Secondly, know where and how your hemp is grown. Hemp plants act very much like a sponge, soaking up what they are exposed to in their environment. Therefore, if pesticides and herbicides were used in the growing process, then these chemicals may also be found in the CBD you are supplementing with, potentially making you sick. In fact, hemp is such a great sponge that it is used in bioremediation or the use of living things to clean soil. The most dramatic example of this is the use of hemp to clean up radioactive elements from the soil after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. But it is also being used to clean up metals, pesticides, solvents, explosives, crude oil, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and toxins leaching from landfills. Therefore, where hemp is coming from is incredibly important. The main problem for consumers is the lack of transparency when it comes to the CBD’s origin. MD Custom Rx carries a product that is grown in the clean soil of Kentucky, right here in the United States. Furthermore, it is certified to be free of potential toxins.
In addition, there is a stark contrast between isolated CBD molecules and whole plant/full spectrum extractions you will find at MD Custom Rx. Full spectrum oils typically include CBD and more than 100 other compounds including an array of cannabinoids, flavonoids, omega-chain fatty acids and terpenes. Many of these compounds can interact synergistically, which creates what scientists refer to as the “entourage effect.” This onslaught of therapeutically beneficial compounds is what is responsible for the incredible efficacy seen with full spectrum CBD.
As you can see, not all CBD oil is created equal. Since this is an over-the-counter product, it is not well regulated. Unfortunately, it is buyer beware. Therefore, keep to a source you know you can trust – relay on MD Custom Rx as your CBD experts.