Our Response to The CBD Segment Presented by Dr. Oz and Dr. Sanjay Gupta
In early October on the nationally televised, daytime talk show, The Dr. Oz Show, reporter Mara Schiavocampo investigated the reported benefits of CBD oil. Medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta presented his views on the topic. While it’s difficult for any television program to present all the facts within the limitations of a 14-minute time slot, it is our opinion that some of the comments and concerns expressed during this segment need further explanation and clarification. We would like to take a few minutes to respond to what we saw.1
The Doctors Made No Distinction Between Marijuana and Hemp CBD
Dr. Gupta did correctly specify that marijuana contains CBD and THC. He also specified that THC is responsible for the intoxicating effects of marijuana. He then stated that the CBD products available to consumers have had the THC “pulled” from them.
What we believe Dr. Sanjay Gupta failed to clarify, is the difference between hemp-derived CBD products and CBD products derived from marijuana plants.
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CBD from Marijuana
The CBD from marijuana contains high levels of THC, the cannabinoid responsible for the psychoactive effects. CBD from marijuana is typically available from medical and recreational dispensary and in some cases may require the consumer to have a medical card prescribed by a doctor.
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CBD from Hemp
The CBD extracted from hemp was never mentioned during the segment. It’s important to know that the US Farm Bill legalized hemp cultivation and differentiated the cannabis plants by their THC content. To be classified as hemp a plant must contain less than 0.3 percent THC. Because of the Farm Bill, hemp-derived CBD products are available to consumers online.
The Doctors Neglected to Explain the Significance of the Endocannabinoid System
During the segment, the doctors established that CBD works with the receptors in your body. Dr. Sanjay Gupta explained that our bodies make their “own form of CBD,” but he passed over the opportunity to provide an essential explanation of how CBD products work.
While we understand that his statement is intended to reference the endocannabinoid system, viewers unfamiliar with CBD would not. Those watching the Dr. Oz Show were not given the opportunity to understand the potential health benefits beyond the alleviating certain symptoms of specific ailments.
An important element of the equation was left out of the discussion. When your body cannot make enough messengers to facilitate communication with the receptors throughout your body, the system becomes unbalanced. Communications fail.
Your endocannabinoid system is so essential to your health that researchers now believe that endocannabinoid deficiencies, endocannabinoid imbalances, are the cause of many illnesses. CBD (cannabidiol) not only mimics the effects of your naturally occurring endocannabinoids (anandamide and 2-AG) to keep your endocannabinoid system functioning efficiently, CBD also:
- Influences Serotonin Receptors– to help regulate moods, digestion, and sleep cycles. Serotonin can cause an excitatory or inhibitive response depending on the chemical composition of the message it delivers.
- Impacts Dopamine Receptors – a neurotransmitter released by your neurons responsible for regulating cognition and behavior.
- Influences GABA receptors – a neurotransmitter that blocks the impulses between nerve cells. GABA levels are a significant influence in the way your body responds to stress signals.
- Influences Vanilloid Receptors – Vanilloid receptors function as a negative ion channel. Negative ion channels convert chemical and mechanical signals to electrical signals.
The Misinformed Statement Claiming Hemp Oil Contains No CBD
Guest expert Dr. Tod Cooperman, founder of consumerlab.com, appeared on the Dr. Oz Show to verify the purity and potency of the CBD products under scrutiny. It’s not too surprising to learn that some of the products tested for this program contained little CBD. Dr. Cooperman said that most CBD products tested were not labeled appropriately and many did not specify the amount of CBD contained in the product. Viewers were warned to be cautious when making a purchase.
Unfortunately, his initial statement rings true for many less reputable companies. It is further into his explanation that we find a need for clarification and correction.
According to Dr. Cooperman if you purchase a product that contains hemp extract “you’re getting some” CBD, but if your product is labeled hemp oil you are not. He states, “hemp oil has no CBD in it.”
This statement is incorrect. Hemp oil is extracted from hemp plants. CBD is one of the many (113) cannabinoids found in hemp oil. Hemp oil, hemp extract, and CBD oil are terms used interchangeably throughout our industry. That’s because CBD manufacturers are restricted from using the term CBD on product labels. You will find the terms “hemp oil’ and “hemp extract” on many reputable CBD products.
Dr. Cooperman was likely confusing hemp oil with hemp seed oil. Hemp seed oil contains no CBD. If the product manufacturer does not specify the CBD content of your hemp oil, find a different product. A reputable company will always specify the amount of CBD in a product in milligrams. The higher the CBD content, the less product you will need per dose.
The Program Appears to Have Overestimated the Cost of CBD Per Dose
During the evaluation portion of the segment, it appears that someone on the production staff may have been a bit off when calculating the cost per 10 mg dose. It was stated that industry prices averaged between $0.80 and $4.50 per 10 mg dose. This seems particularly high, and not just according to our pricing standards. Using the pricing for full spectrum CBD oil from five reputable online retailers, here’s what we found:
- CBDistillery: $0.06/mg or $0.60 per 10mg dose
- CW Hemp: $0.10/mg or $1.00 per 10mg dose
- Bluebird Botanicals: $0.08/mg or $0.80 per 10mg dose
- PlusCBDOil (CV Sciences): $0.10/mg or $1.00 per 10mg dose
- Elixonol: $0.07/mg or $0.70 per 10mg dose
Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s Opinion That “Consumers Are Better Off Saving Their Money”
While many people respect Dr. Gupta’s opinion, in this case, he may be (wrongfully) deterring people from investigating the many potential benefits of hemp-sourced CBD. The doctor’s final assessment was a bit surprising since he did verify some of the benefits of CBD and supported ongoing research.
This is just speculation, but it may be that Dr. Gupta felt it necessary to dissuade consumers from purchasing CBD because the products tested for the show contain little CBD and cost as much as $4.50 per 10mg dose. He did comment that low doses were unlikely to provide significant benefits.
There are numerous studies that show significant health and wellness benefits of CBD oil. Hopefully, some of the people viewing the CBD segment on The Dr. Oz Show will still take the time to do their own investigations. Reputable companies, like CBDistillery, have thousands of verified reviews and testimonials confirming that many people find CBD beneficial.
Dr. Oz’s Concern That There Are No “Basic Rules” for Purchasing CBD
It’s quite likely that Dr. Oz was a bit put off by the confusion over product labeling and the revelation that the products tested for the program contained little CBD. While there may be few “rules” governing CBD, it’s imperative that consumers are educated about what to look for when purchasing CBD products.
It is our mission to clarify the confusion and help consumers make informed decisions. We pride ourselves on providing information and education (through our blog) to anyone interested in the many potential benefits of CBD. From our perspective, there are several basic rules to follow when purchasing. Consider the following:
- CBD should be extracted from non-GMO, pesticide-free, hemp grown with organic farming methods
- The amount of CBD in the product should be clearly stated
- Products should be batch tested to ensure purity and potency
- Batch testing information should be readily available for consumer verification
- Hemp CBD should be available at a reasonable price per mg
Dr. Oz made one important point that we agree with. There are too many companies devising products “that minimize the importance of this medicine.” While we don’t use the term medicine, we agree that too many companies are using CBD as a buzzword, putting insignificant amounts of CBD in their products to take advantage of the popularity. By putting insignificant amounts of CBD in inconsequential products, companies are minimizing the significance of the genuine benefits of potent CBD products.
For more information on the potential wellness benefits of hemp sourced CBD, we invite you to download The Ultimate CBD User Guide and read our many verified reviews and testimonials. We applaud your efforts to learn about the many potential benefits of CBD and decide for yourself. When you’re ready, visit us at CBDistillery to explore our quality selection of CBD oil, capsules, vape pens, isolates, and topical products.
Source:
- Doctor Oz. (2018, October 2). A Report on the CBD Oil Movement.
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