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CBD Could Help Smokers Quit Cigarettes

  • June 05, 2018

A new study published in the journal Addiction and reported in PsyPost indicates that cannabidiol (CBD) oil may help addicted smokers quit their addiction to nicotine and, ultimately, cigarettes. Noteworthy is that this particular form of CBD does not produce the stereotypical “high” that most people think of when they hear the word “cannabis.” This new study reflects earlier findings of one done in 2013 that showed using a CBD inhaler helped reduce cigarette smoking by 40 percent.

It’s pertinent that the study authors also stressed that people shouldn’t try to “treat themselves with CBD,” and that what you find on the open market (where available) would not be the same as what they used in their studies. In other words, if CBD as a “fix” for nicotine addiction is ever to be made available, they want you to wait until it’s pharmaceutically created by a drug company. And therein lies the problem: The drug industry is now pushing for legislation that would make CBD oil illegal — by turning it into a drug.

To that end, it’s also possible that “pharmaceutical strength” CBD might be too pure, hence a corresponding high rate of potential side effects. Regardless, there’s a significant difference in cost between a CBD drug and natural CBD oil, which in and of itself is of great concern for many patients and their families who now worry Big Pharma is trying to take over the cannabis industry.

In related news, while at least 29 states have made medical marijuana legal, others continue to dig in their heels and refuse to allow their residents the relief that it offers for conditions proven to be helped by it, such as seizures and pain relief. In tandem, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is increasing its scrutiny of companies making CBD products, and is sending warning letters for making “illegally unsubstantiated health claims” on their CBD products, including claims that CBD oil can be classified as dietary supplements — despite ongoing studies that show the oil most definitely can help select groups of individuals.

The bottom line is medical marijuana on the federal level is still listed as a Schedule I (illegal) controlled substance, and this is tragic, considering the evidence showing medical marijuana lowers prescription drug use. In fact, studies suggest that the Medicare program alone could save $468 million per year if marijuana were legalized in all U.S. states — $165 million was saved in 2013 in the 18 states where medical marijuana was legal that year.

There are no other truly compelling reasons why addictive narcotics like OxyContin are legal, while marijuana — which is extremely unlikely to kill you even if you take very high amounts — is not.