Cannabis is a plant that has followed a relationship trajectory with humankind like no other plant in history.  For over twelve millennia, the various forms of the cannabis plant, including marijuana and hemp, were peacefully co-existing alongside people.  Then suddenly, hostilities broke out, and a small group of influential humans in media began to literally make up, lies about cannabis, including their exclusive knowledge that cannabis is a devastatingly mind-altering drug that would cause fathers to abuse and rape their children and users to crave massive amounts of other more dangerous recreational drugs like cocaine, heroin, and crack.  Most destructively, our politicians made it illegal and placed possession of cannabis among the worst felony drug offenses possible.

Many sensible people, better educated in the ways of cannabis, fought back arguing that cannabis was positive for a person’s emotional and physical health and that cannabis did not cause users to crave other more powerful hallucinogenic drugs.  This pro-cannabis movement that began in inner city urban areas and in fields of hippies over fifty years ago, ground away slowly over the years gaining political advocates in California and then medical advocates for children nationwide.  Common sense bound to solid research and education and the benefits of cannabis began to replace hysterical, nonsensical fear regarding using the plant.  Moms of children nationwide began meeting together to create cannabis advocate groups and money began flowing to the cause.  Money always wakes up politicians and more and more pro cannabis laws are being passed with each successive year.

Based on of the available evidence now, it appears as though we are heading for a renaissance in cannabis where education and good sense will rule.  Cannabis finally appears to be out of the clutches of politicians, at least to the extent it was before.  The biggest danger to cannabis today is no longer the greedy politicians chasing lobby dollars; rather it is the scores of writers who write about cannabis without being immersed in the field or even adequately knowledgeable about cannabis use.

Here is a case in point.  Inverse Magazine, online, published an article on April 6, 2021 entitled, COVID-19 and CBD:  Why Scientists are Excited About the Possibilities.  It was written by free lance writer Katy MacBride.  According to Katy’s web presence she is a self-acknowledged librarian and dog lover.  Her past stories show a flair for the technical and a belief in cannabis.  Without knowing Katy personally, we are sure she is ambitious, smart, and dedicated to helping people’s physical and emotional health challenges.  In the well-written article, Katy says,

All of the researchers Inverse interviewed for this story stressed two things:  first, that CBD is a very promising treatment for cytokine storms and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and second, more research and clinical trials should be done before using it as a treatment in humans.

That sentence not only paints CBD in a potentially positive light, it also makes a sound scientific and medical point regarding testing.  Go Katy!

“Although clinical trials in humans need to be done before we can prescribe CBD for cytokine storms, trials of CBD as a treatment for ulcerative colitis — another inflammatory response — have had promising results.”

Perfect.  The story is scientifically correct and continues to raise the reader’s curiosity regarding CBD.  Then one small aspect of the story sends things a bit sideways.  Katy writes,

“One of the benefits of CBD is that we know lab-tested, medical-grade CBD is relatively safe and has generally mild side effects compared to other pharmaceuticals, one of the reasons a CBD-based drug is approved for children with intractable epilepsy.”

On the face of it, without thinking too hard, or knowing too much about CBD, this statement sounds both intelligent and credible.  Katy is hitting it out of the park!

Our problem with the article comes in above with the phrase “compared to other pharmaceuticals.”  This directly implies that CBD is a pharmaceutical substance.  CBD is ONLY a pharmaceutical if it is a SYNTHETIC laboratory created CBD.  While synthetic CBD eliminates the possibility of contaminants in the product being used, based on the available research CBD might be more effective for many things when introduced systemically in a full spectrum hemp plant matrix – a full spectrum product, if you will.  In fact, the majority opinion is now that Full Spectrum oils containing CBD are more beneficial than either natural CBD isolate or lab generated, synthetic CBD.

Shortly thereafter, the article takes an even more ominous turn by saying,

“The CBD you might find at a grocery store, for example, isn’t what these scientists are excited about. It’s medical-grade CBD that may have a role in the future of how we treat Covid-19.”

This directly implies that there is a premium, medical grade CBD product available on the market and that all other products you find in stores are inferior and probably useless.   Sadly, no one in the article told us cannabis experts, where we could find this “medical grade CBD” that is so superior for one’s health.  We would need to be pointed in the right direction as no cannabis experts we interact with have any knowledge of this “medical grade” CBD.  Assuming the medical grade CBD unicorn is really synthetic lab derived CBD, experts like ourselves, believe that articles like these are misleading and damaging.  If our belief is correct, and this belief gets more supportive science every month, then the consumer products sold on shelves may be better for a particular treatment, than would synthetic “medical grade” CBD ingredients.

We recommend everyone studies the field of cannabis thoroughly before reaching opinions based on simple articles which may be misleading to begin.