CBD gummies a waste of money, say scientists

Trendy cannabidiol products such as CBD gummies and oils are a waste of money and even potentially harmful, according to Oxford scientists.

Researchers analysed 16 clinical trials and found that in 15 of them, the use of CBD was no better than a placebo at alleviating pain.

CBD is one of the chemicals found in the cannabis plant and is now a widely sold supplement in oils, vapes, weed gummies, and drinks at local supermarkets.

A highly-critical meta-analysis of existing studies around CBD by experts from the universities of Bath, Oxford, and Alberta, Canada, found there was “no evidence” the supplement worked, regardless of the dosage, how often it was taken or the route it was administered.

The report says: “For people living with pain, the evidence for CBD or hemp extract shows it is expensive, does not work, and is possibly harmful.”

The report found differing levels of CBD in products than what had been advertised, with none present in some cases.

Chemicals other than CBD were also present in some products, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the main psychoactive part of the plant that is used recreationally and is illegal in the UK and other countries.

Experts also linked the use of CBD to increased rates of serious harm to users, including liver toxicity and hepatitis.

The products are not regulated by a medical body, and are freely available in the UK, promote health benefits including alleviating pain.

Around 20 per cent of Britons suffer from chronic pain and experts said the products made “wild promises” for people desperate to find a cure.

Dr Andrew Moore, co-author and former senior pain researcher at the University of Oxford, said: “For too many people with chronic pain, there’s no medicine that manages their pain. Chronic pain can be awful, so they are very motivated to find pain relief by any means. This makes them vulnerable to the wild promises made about CBD.”

He said there were “no consumer protections” and that without regulation of CBD sellers and products, it was “unlikely that the false promises being made about the analgesic effects of CBD will slow down in the years ahead”.

Only medical cannabis has regulatory approval and is prescribed for people with severe forms of epilepsy, adults with chemotherapy-related nausea and people with multiple sclerosis.

Meanwhile, non-medical CBD items are regulated as “novel foods”. They must only adhere to safety, labelling and advertising rules, and are therefore not required to be consistent in content or quality.

The Food Standards Agency updated its advice on CBD last year, lowering its recommended limit of CBD to 10mg per day from 70mg.

Prof Chris Eccleston, who led the research from the Centre for Pain Research at Bath, said: “CBD presents consumers with a big problem. It’s touted as a cure for all pain but there’s a complete lack of quality evidence that it has any positive effects.

“It’s almost as if chronic pain patients don’t matter, and that we’re happy for people to trade on hope and despair.”

The authors warned consumers against purchasing products, not only because they do not work, but because they could inadvertently be purchasing a product that is “illegal to possess or supply”, particularly if bought online, as “there’s a good chance it will contain forbidden quantities of THC”.

The researchers suggested that there was a lack of willingness from health authorities to intervene in a “booming market”.

“There should be no excuses for misleading the public, and yet it is likely that the public is being misled and possibly placed in harm’s way,” the study said. “Other than being told to desist using incorrect advertising, it is unclear whether there are any penalties.”

The study was published in the Journal of Pain.