It’s all well and good for the team at Purelix Wellness to share information about CBD and act as cannabis advocates. It is, after all, our business and we are already passionate about CBD. But what about the experts? As we’ve shared in the past, CBD has SO many potential benefits that can impact countless industries. In this post we are taking a look at what professionals in various fields have to say about CBD and how it has affected their lives, their communities and the lives of those in the fields they represent.
Sports
Because of the lack of organized studies into CBD, many medical doctors are cautious about discussing its benefits and the science behind its effectiveness. In the field of sports, however, the athletes who have experienced relief through the use of CBD and cannabis in general are quick to share their enthusiasm.
Joe Montana, Hall of Fame quarterback, “Legalization is picking up steam on a global level and I feel like now is the time to spread information about the curing capabilities of this plant.”
Eugene Monroe, former offensive tackle, “It’s time for the NFL to change its archaic standards to better protect its players. For too long, I’ve watched my teammates and good friends battle with opioid addiction and leave the game with a long road still ahead; it’s time to make a change.”
Jim McMahon, former quarterback, “There’s years I don’t remember, just because I was in such a fog. That’s when I really started using cannabis to combat my pain. I’ve been an advocate for it for a lot of years, and I’m not ashamed of it.”
*Ebenezer Ekuban, former defensive end, “I think in due time, the NFL is going to realize that CBD is not a performance-enhancing drug. If anything, it helps with anxiety, helps with concentration, it helps with pain.”
*Dr. Ara Suppiah, a functional sports medicine expert who works with professional athletes, “There are three very useful or beneficial sides to it for an athlete. No. 1, it is a potent anti-inflammatory. No. 2, it helps with sleep. And No. 3, there are lots of reports that show that it helps with anxiety,”, Suppiah told ESPN. “So for an athlete, if you’re looking for the ability to recover and perform over and over again, it is a useful tool in the toolbox,” Suppiah acts as the doctor for PGA player Bubba Watson and has also been vocal in encouraging the golfer to use CBD to alleviate the trouble he has sleeping before a final round.
Dermatology
CBD has shown to assist with skin disorders through the use of topicals and edibles alike. Dermatological inflammation, acne in particular, is a common affliction that dermatologists believe CBD can help combat.
*Michele Farber, a renowned dermatologist at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York, “I would be cautiously optimistic about adding CBD to a skin care routine,” she has shared. When applied topically, CBD “has been shown to reduce inflammation, aid in pain relief, improve hydration and reduce oil production…The anti-inflammatory and oil-reducing effects make it potentially helpful for acne.”
Adam Friedman, Professor and interim chair of dermatology at George Washington University. “Cannabinoids, like CBD, are heavily involved in managing the immune response to infection and injury,” said Friedman. He highlights the fact that our body’s endocannabinoid system regulates inflammation, and researchers have confirmed that cannabinoids are an important factor in actually clearing up the body’s inflammation. Many existing treatments simply block inflammation signals but CBD, he explains, actually fixes the underlying problem rather than just managing symptoms. Friedman also points to CBD’s potential to act as an acne treatment because of another role it can play in regulating oil gland cells. “In a single-blinded, split-face study, 3% cannabis seed extract cream decreased skin sebum and erythema content, demonstrating a potential treatment for acne vulgaris and seborrhea.”
Dr. Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in the department of dermatology at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York “Studies have shown that CBD may actually decrease oil production and be useful in people who are acne-prone.”
Jordan Wang, a dermatologist at Laser and Skin Surgery Center of New York, recognizes the benefits of CBD but also that more research is needed to understand CBD’s role in skin care. “Claims for anti-aging benefits deserve the most scrutiny, but consumers should know that current research is still exploring the benefits of CBD.…The cosmetic world has witnessed a rise in topical CBD products,” said Wang, who co-authored a paper on CBD trends. “A lot of this is the result of large marketing campaigns and the push toward more natural ingredients, which makes it difficult for consumers to separate hype from fact. Much about CBD is still unknown, but it certainly has the potential to be a major player in the skin care industry.”
Anxiety, Depression and Addiction
CBD has long been used as a strong treatment for anxiety and the medical community is now studying how it can help with treatment for drug addiction. It seems that its anti-anxiety properties are linked to the impulses and responses that trigger drug-specific urges.
Dr. Yasmin Hurd, director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai “It [CBD] doesn’t make you high, but it has effects on multiple other chemicals in the body and in the brain. So, for example, in the brain, it can elevate chemicals that are important for regulating anxiety and mood…There are a number of small studies that have shown an indication that CBD might be effective for anxiety. Might be effective as an antipsychotic. Might be effective as to decrease cravings for people with a substance use disorders, but those studies are still very small in terms of the sample sizes that have been done.”
Donald Levy, medical director at the Osher Clinical Center for Integrative Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and assistant clinical professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, “The marketing has gone way ahead of the science and the law when it comes to CBD products,” he says. “The most benefit I have seen as a physician is in treating sleep disorders, anxiety, and pain. Many people report a definite response when it comes to anxiety.”
Esther Blessing, a researcher and psychiatry professor at New York University Langone Health. Dr. Blessing has completed a review of CBD’s effects on mood in which she looked at its potential to treat anxiety, and although she recognizes that the results are very preliminary, she sees a lot of promise. “Studies so far have shown that CBD of a specific dose is roughly as effective as drugs like Valium and other benzodiazepines in reducing experimental anxiety.”
Dr. Tom Freeman, director of the addiction and mental health group within the department of psychology at the University of Bath. In July of 2020 Friedman shared results from the first-ever randomised clinical trial of CBD for cannabis use disorder suggesting that prescribed doses of the non-intoxicating constituent part of the cannabis plant could help treat addiction. Lead author Dr. Friedman explains: “The results from our trial open up a novel therapeutic strategy for managing problematic cannabis use in clinical settings. As we highlight, CBD at daily oral doses of 400mg and 800mg has potential to address the substantial and currently unmet clinical need for a pharmacological treatment of cannabis use disorders…(While) it may seem counterintuitive to treat problematic cannabis use with CBD—a constituent part of the cannabis plant—THC and CBD have contrasting effects on our own endogenous cannabinoid system. Unlike THC, CBD does not produce intoxicating or rewarding effects and it shows potential for a treating several other medical disorders.”
Pets
Mark Verdino, MD, senior vice president and chief of veterinary staff at North Shore Animal League America, “Does it actually help with pain, or does it just make them not care? We don’t know, but they seem to be less reactive to low level pain stimuli, for example arthritis and things like that, when they take the product…(a)nd 
certain anxieties, they seem less reactive to certain things.” The Vet recognizes that more research needs to be done to understand how CBD works. “The psychotic ingredient in it that makes people high is not present at CBD oil, and they’re not entirely sure how the CBD, the Cannabidiol, actually works…” says Verdino. “We don’t know, but they seem to be less reactive to low level pain stimuli, so like arthritis and things like that, when they take the product. And certain anxieties, they seem less reactive to certain things.”
Verdino administers CBD to his own senior dog whose anxiety increases in the evenings. “At night time when the lights are dimmed down, it’s dark out, they don’t see it well in the dark, and he gets a little spooked. And when I give him the CBD, he seems to just go to sleep.” Verdino shares , “I recommend people use a pet-specific product just so that they know that the concentration is appropriate, that there’s nothing else in it…because look, this is a fairly unregulated industry.”
In General
Dr. Sanjay Gupta, American neurosurgeon, medical reporter, and writer. He serves as associate chief of the 
neurosurgery service at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, and as associate professor of neurosurgery at the Emory University School of Medicine and Chief Medical Correspondent for CNN. Dr. Gupta has an ongoing documentary series on the cannabis industry, Weed: A CNN Special Report, in which he shares information on cannabis use and research from a medical perspective. “Make no mistake“ he says, “Cannabis is a medicine. Over the last six years, through countless articles and essays, and now five documentary films, my team and I have made that case and we have provided the proof. At times, it can heal when nothing else can. Denying people this substance represents a moral issue just as much as a medical one.”
Official Statements
The World Health Organization released a paper that called CBD oil safe for human use. According to the WHO, “CBD is generally well tolerated with a good safety profile. Reported adverse effects may be as a result of 
drug-drug interactions between CBD and patients’ existing medications.”
The official statement from The Arthritis Foundation reads: “As the largest organization representing the voice and needs of people with arthritis, the Arthritis Foundation has always welcomed new treatment options because no single drug, supplement or therapy works for everyone. We believe patients should be empowered to find safe management strategies that are appropriate for them. The more options available, the likelier it is that more people will benefit. We are intrigued by the potential of CBD to help people find pain relief and are on record urging the FDA to expedite the study and regulation of these products. While currently there is limited scientific evidence about CBD’s ability to help ease arthritis symptoms, and no universal quality standards or regulations exist, we have listened to our constituents and consulted with leading experts** to develop these general recommendations for adults who are interested in trying CBD.”
The endorsements from these respected organizations will only accelerate growing interest in the therapeutic potential of cannabis and, specifically, CBD. Much more research is planned and information will undoubtedly be available to the public as people find out more about the many benefits CBD offers. Just keep in mind that, as with any emerging treatment, it’s important to do your research before using CBD. Make sure to purchase a trusted brand that practices transparency and adheres to the highest standards of testing and manufacturing in the industry. At Purelix Wellness we strive to share our knowledge of CBD with the public and encourage you to start your own journey toward a healthier life with Purelix Wellness products.
