CBD oil: Consumers should be skeptical about the lack of provenance surrounding many CBD products, quote's Dr Hilary Jones

It doesn’t provide a high

Another popular misconception is that people can get high from ingesting it. As Dr. Hilary explains, in order for it to comply with UK law, it can only contain very minuscule traces of THC if any at all, he explains.

THC is the main psychoactive compound in marijuana that induces the high sensation. Despite being derived from the same plant family and having similar chemical structures, CBD is a non-psychoactive compound.

Quality control

A lot of consumers do not know the difference between cannabis, medicinal cannabis and hemp, according to Dr Hilary.

He said: “They [consumers] do not know what CBD oil is and they don't know what to look for in the bottle when they're buying it.

Worse still, certain products being sold may contain traces of THC, which is illegal, warns Dr Hilary.

The lack of certainty around dosage and provenance means many products on the market should be met with caution.

Dr Hilary: Consumers must make sure they are not taking any existing medication that could interact

When to take it

According to Dr Hilary, there are good reasons why people should try CBD oil as long as they know the provenance of it. 

Consumers must be savvy, however. If a person is using a product, they should be able to trace it from seeds to the bottle and why they are taking the product.

CBD oil: Dr Hilary advises keeping a diary to record results

To that end, he is advocating consumers opt for a specific CBD oil product. CBD oil brand Celtic Wind (available at Lloyds Pharmacy) cold presses the whole plant, retaining all the original compounds. Each bottle contains a number on the side of the bottle which enables consumers to trace the product all the way back to the field where it is grown.

Once the provenance, quality, and standardisation of the CBD oil has been established, Dr. Hilary recommends keeping a diary to record results. He said: “Start off on a low dose. Then increase it gradually, keeping a diary.

“Keep a diary updated over two, three, four weeks. Then come back and report to me and how you are getting on. Then we can talk about increasing the dose.