Is CBD the Next Ibuprofen? Green Point Research Teamed Up with Florida State University to Find Out
The rapidly growing CBD, cannabidiol, the industry is founded on promises of improved health and is showing up in a variety of market segments. You can find CBD or industrial hemp in products ranging from topicals, edibles, clothing, pet products, household cleaners, and beyond.
CBD not to be confused, though commonly is, with marijuana or marijuana compounds. It is extracted from industrial hemp which is legally grown with 0.3 percent THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) or less. THC is the psychoactive compound found in cannabis sativa, and is classified as a cannabinoid, as is CBD, but without the same alleged benefits.
CBD products and potential benefits are largely unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) leaving the market fairly unstable and inconsistent. However, a leading hemp research company is hopefully shedding a bit of light on the pain-relief claims many CBD product manufacturers are making.
Industrial hemp was prohibited for use and listed as a controlled substance since 1937, but the 2018 Farm Bill removed this standing which opened new research opportunities. This bill has led to more legislation allowing for increased industrial hemp programs within the collegiate research settings.
Green Point Research is a Florida-based research company founded by three Florida State University (FSU) College of Law Graduates and has taken advantage of this new legislation. The company developed a CBD soft gel capsule under the name, Satividol, with the expressed purpose of pain-relief benefits. There is a host of research looking at the pain relief and anti-inflammatory components of cannabinoids.1However, this study will be among the first conducted by a university and looking at CBD’s mechanism of action specifically.
In recent years Green Point partnered with the University of Florida to fund their hemp pilot program and are entering a new partnership to analyze Satividol and its potential benefits.
Green Point is already selling a CBD product but is entering this partnership to review a higher dose focused on mitigating the symptoms associated with conditions like insomnia and arthritis. FSU promises to provide a truly independent review of Satividol with the purpose of getting a firmer understanding of CBD’s effects in the body regarding pain and sleep.
Pain relievers, like ibuprofen, have long-lasting effects on the liver making their long-term and consistent use harmful to overall health. If FSU and Green Point are able to uncover the mechanism of action CBD takes in the body to bring pain relief and confirm the liver and other organs are not negatively impacted this could have major implications on modern pain relief.
In June 2018 the FDA approved the only CBD based prescription drug on the market, Epidiolex, which is used to treat seizures. It has been over a year since the FDA has made steps of this nature again, but that is changing with Green Point and FSU’s Satividol study. The FDA is open to moving forward with the drug if positive results are confirmed upon completion of the study.
Green Point’s research study, and others like it, are necessary to move the state of the CBD market forward. Increases in the amount of reputable research being performed on cannabidiol with positive results will hopefully bring much-needed safety and quality to the CBD industry.
An interesting aspect of the Satividol study is the partnership with a separate study looking at the farming of commercial hemp. The university is using hemp grown on 450 acres from three different farms across Florida, north, central and south.
Through the growth of this hemp, researchers hope to improve farming practices, provided direction on best-practices, and give transparency to obtaining a commercial industrial hemp farming license. Florida legislatures want to provide clarity and safety regarding industrial hemp practices.
Resources
- Bruni, N. et. al., Cannabinoid Delivery System for Pain and Inflammation Treatment. 2018;23(10): 2478.
