
We Had a Successful AMA on Reddit Covering CBD. AMA - TruPo_Science
Hi Hacker News,<p>We had a great AMA on Reddit covering CBD. Our dev team uses hackers news and recommended we chat with you all, so let&#x27;s start a conversation. Check out more info on our Reddit post: https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.reddit.com&#x2F;r&#x2F;IAmA&#x2F;comments&#x2F;ecupsk&#x2F;less_than_30_of_cbd_products_are_accurately&#x2F;<p>Some people know a lot about CBD and other related compounds, but there are many people who still have basic questions. I am Austin Flohrschutz. AMA about CBD.<p>My education: BS in Behavioral Neuroscience and MS in Neuroscience. In undergraduate, I worked in a medicinal chemistry lab. In graduate school, I worked in a neuropharmacology lab focused on pain, opioids, addiction, and cannabinoids. My current organization formed a board of some pre-eminent cannabinoid researchers who sit on our Science Advisory Board that I collaborate with, including:<p>Todd Vanderah, PhD in Pharmacology is Head of Pharmacology at the University of Arizona. His research interests include mechanisms of cancer pain, neuronal integration in pain pathways, cannabinoid &amp; opioid receptor pharmacology, as well as the discovery of novel targets for new medications.<p>Adam Friedman, MD, FAAD is Professor and Interim Chair of Dermatology at The George Washington University School of Medicine. He is currently investigating novel nanotechnologies that allow for the delivery of a variety of medicinally relevant molecules, such as cannabinoids.<p>Dr. Hope Jones is Chief Scientific Officer of Emergent Cannabis Sciences and CEO and founder of Adivina Crop Science -- offering state of the art cannabis tissue culture and micropropagation services. Dr. Jones&#x27; previously worked as a Staff Scientist for NASA’s Life Sciences and Biosystems Engineering Program.
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beardage
Is it effective as a "rescue" treatment for stress? I've been looking for a
healthy way to unwind after work that's not psycho-active, if that makes
sense?

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TruPo_Science
Potentially. CBD is being looked at for stress and is thought to even be
beneficial for public speaking for those who are phobic
([https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28553229](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28553229)).
If you are looking for the quickest action, then smoking or vaping will be the
way to go. If you are trying to avoid inhalation, taking a tincture
sublingually will probably be the next quickest method.

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CuriousHealer
I’d like to try my full spectrum tincture for my 40 lb, 7 year old dog. How do
I determine how much to give her?

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TruPo_Science
There have been little studies with animals, but there is one study out of
Cornell looking at CBD for osteoarthritic dogs
([https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2018.0016...](https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2018.00165/full)).
Here they found 2 mg/kg twice a day seemed to work well.

40 lbs are about 18 kg. So 2 mg per kilogram would be 36 mg twice a day. You
may also start at lower amounts and work your way up and you might see a
difference lower than 36mg twice a day.

THC can be harmful to pets at high concentrations, but a full-spectrum CBD oil
should not have a high enough amount to cause any issues.

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bakedwax
Thanks so much for sharing the info on your AMA session. Big fan of
TruPotency; been following you guys since inception. Hope to be a part of your
awesome team soon!

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mmelder
What do you see as the biggest challenges in the CBD Industry at the moment?

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TruPo_Science
I think the biggest challenges arise from a lack of oversight. A 2017 study
published in JAMA suggests only about 30% of CBD products are labeled
correctly. The failing products either had inaccurate CBD concentrations or
contained things they shouldn't, like THC in a THC-free products or mycotoxins
from poor quality control.

The FDA has said they are trying to fast track regulations for hemp and CBD,
but it has been much too slow for the industry. Once there are clear (and
hopefully sane) rules and regulations, I think you will see a drop off in the
number of companies and a rise in the quality of products. We also need to
work on getting the price down for consumers.

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TruPo_Science
BTW here is a link to our site and our Facebook group for discussion and news
about CBD.

[https://www.facebook.com/groups/487353305221125/](https://www.facebook.com/groups/487353305221125/)

[https://trupotency.com/](https://trupotency.com/)

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Kniiice
Are there studies on CBD relieving the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS)?

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TruPo_Science
There is a drug approved in other countries than the US called Sativex. This
drug is essentially just a 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC, which is prescribed for MS
to help with spasticity and pain. There are some clinical trials using CBD for
MS, but it seems CBD will probably help more when combined with other
cannabinoids.

CBD/MS clinical trials:
[https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=cannabidio...](https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/results?cond=&term=cannabidiol+multiple+sclerosis&cntry=&state=&city=&dist=)

Sativex: [https://www.gwpharm.com/healthcare-
professionals/sativex#](https://www.gwpharm.com/healthcare-
professionals/sativex#)

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abk5074
What are some of the barriers to reducing the costs of CBD products?

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TruPo_Science
Many states are just now having the ability to actually grow hemp, so I think
that having a more mature farming community and better plant genetics is one
step. Essentially just the ability to make more CBD easier with more
experienced farmers.

I think another barrier is just the overall hype behind CBD. _Everyone_ at
least wants to try it This allows companies to jack up the price arbitrarily,
because, "why not? people will still buy it." And even if legitimate companies
did want to have cheaper prices, being too cheap can actually look bad form a
market standpoint ("Oh this products is so cheap it must be bad or poor
quality"). This along with the huge number of CBD companies has really
ballooned the retail price for everyone.

I think as supply and demand start changing, we will hopefully see more
reasonable prices for consumers.

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miless
What are your thoughts on different techniques used to increase oral
bioavailability of cbd in formulations?

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wdkgg
Can CBD products sold in state-licensed medical marijuana dispensaries be
trusted to be accurately labelled?

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TruPo_Science
It really depends on the dispensary and state. If they have actual third-party
testing data from an accredited lab, then it is most likely legitimate. But
many dispensaries don't have to check the CBD products for label accuracy.
They also do not have to worry about high THC levels, so you could be getting
much higher THC than you wanted.

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JohnnyDangIceOn
How effective is CBD for Sleep related issues? I have heard that it helps with
sleep is this study backed?

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TruPo_Science
It may be helpful for sleep
([https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28349316)(https://www.nc...](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28349316\)\(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30624194\)).
However, it is not a sedative, like Ambian, so it won't make you tired during
the day. The main way we think CBD is helping people sleep is either by
reducing their chronic pain or by reducing their anxiety. Pain can keep people
awake and so can an overactive and anxious mind.

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saraz2019
I see CBD Gummies everywhere, do they work?

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TruPo_Science
As with a lot of drugs, it depends. What do you want it to work for? CBD could
potentially help with pain, anxiety, and more, but correct dosing can be an
issue and we think that CBD works better with other cannabinoids than by
itself. So a CBD isolate based gummy might not be as effective as a full-
spectrum gummy.

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bizbang
Is CBD legal?

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TruPo_Science
The passing of the 2018 Farm bill effectively legalized hemp-based products
defined as Cannabis containing less than 0.3% THC, which includes CBD
products.

There is a little gray area on some fronts though. Certain states (Nebraska,
Idaho, and South Dakota) still can go by their own state laws and no comply
with the bill. But rules are constantly changing.

We are also waiting on the FDA to make a final statement regarding how we can
use CBD. They may say you cannot put CBD in ingestible products (e.g. CBD
gummies), but we don't know when they will actually have a statement or how
they will rule on CBD regulations in ingestable products.

An anecdote: TSA searched my bag in late 2019 (for reasons unrelated to CBD or
cannabis - the Xray just looked weird). I had some full-spectrum CBD products
and TSA couldn't care less.

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twmartin
Is CBD effective as a nootropic?

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TruPo_Science
I have not seen any evidence to suggest CBD as a nootropic in healthy
individuals. It may help with anxiety and stress, which can impede your
cognitive performance, but at this time I do not believe CBD is boosting a
fully healthy person's cognitive function. But I think a lot of people have to
deal with stress and anxiety at work, so CBD could help to boost performance
here.

I think it would be interesting to see studies in people like professional
gamers. Stress can be good for performance, but too much can be detrimental.
Is being super amped up on your favorite energy drink good for your K/D ratio
or would being calmer with CBD actually be better?

