INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Brian Kateman
Contributor
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Brian Kateman is president and co-founder of
the Reducetarian Foundation.
More posts by this contributor
Ethical fashion is on the rise
Fish replacement may be the next
big wave in alternative protein development
From food and drink to health and wellness and beyond, there one plant we can''t seem to
It seems like every consumer product nowadays is taking part in reefer madness.
Home cooks are taking edibles to new heights
In places likeDenverandCalifornia, you can take cooking classes specifically centered around food made with Mary Jane
The editors of Vice &Munchies& even put out a cookbook last year called Bong Appétit: Mastering the Art of Cooking with Weed.And it only
one ofmany.
But marijuana culture today isn''t all based around the stuff you (er, people you know) smoked in college
Cannabis, long known for itsmedicinal and therapeutic purposes, is a hot commodity in food tech and other consumer products nowadays
Far more than just a way to get high, cannabis in its various forms has been used medically throughout history and in modern times as a
treatment forpain and nausea, and has been found anecdotally or in limited studies to treat glaucoma, epilepsy and anxiety, among other
Businesses have caught on, and not a moment too soon.
The food products that utilize marijuana are a far cry from the old classic pot
brownies (not that there anything wrong with those!)
Thanks to modern science, producers are able to separate the two main chemical compounds found in marijuana: THC and CBD
THC has therapeutic benefits, but it best known as the part of weed that gets you high
This is because it a psychoactive compound
CBD, on the other hand, is not psychoactive — it can (supposedly) provide many of the anti-anxiety, analgesic benefits of the plant
For obvious reasons, this gives marijuana a new appeal
It now possible to reap the benefits of the plant without experiencing intoxication, so you can lessen anxiety or pain while still
functioning normally.
It worth noting at this point that many of the health benefits of CBD and cannabis in general are not scientifically
proven in statistically significant, peer-reviewed studies
This is for a number of reasons, most significantly that marijuana is still a Schedule 1 controlled substance under federal law in the
United States , making legality an issue in its study.
Clearly, the lack of scientific evidence isn''t diminishing anyone desire for
herbal refreshment.
But what CBD and other cannabis products lack in evidence, they make up for with enthusiasm
Companies and consumers alike are eager to try CBD in various products, from food to oils to skincare, in hopes of treating anxiety,
sleeplessness and other woes
If you live in a place where CBD products are legal, you&ve probably seen them everywhere
Newsweek reported that CBD sales are estimated to grow 40-fold in the next four years, reaching a value of $23 billion
The big business of marijuana and CBD — California-based Arena Pharmaceuticals is the biggest publicly traded cannabis company in the
world — is only growing.
You can already find CBD candies and oils at major national retail chains like CVS and Walgreens, and in states
and municipalities where it legal, green connoisseurs can order CBD-infused lattes and cocktails
Even retailers like Sephora, Neiman Marcus and Barneys are selling curated displays of CBD-infused beautyand skincare products
The aforementionedNewsweekarticle reports that big names like Coca-Cola and Molson Coors Brewing are among the hordes of companies already
working on their own CBD products
Clearly, the lack of scientific evidence isn''t diminishing anyone desire for herbal refreshment.
Except for the FDA, that is
Thelegality of marijuana and CBD is a confusing and often contradictory topic, and a hard one to keep track of because it changing all the
time at the federal, state and municipal levels
But what can be ascertained is that because so much of the CBD industry is operating outside of any kind of government oversight, legally or
otherwise, the quality of products can vary widely
This is something about which the FDA and independent doctors and pharmaceutical experts have raised concerns
Apart from companies making unfounded claims about the effects of their products, the actual ingredient makeup may be inconsistent, with
some products containing less CBD than their labels claim
Little regulation and nascent standards of quality mean consumers might not always know what they&re getting.
But given the broad interest
in CBD, that unlikely to remain the case forever
The FDA may have started cracking down on extralegal CBD product sales, but in the grand scheme of things, that only means that the agency
recognizes the significance of the compound
CBD probably isn''t going away anytime soon, and among the food, drug, health and cosmetic industries, the race to do it best and biggest
