1 of 3
Photo by Corey Miller
T.W. Taylor, owner/pharmacist at Williamsburg Drug, is a nationally recognized educator to medical professionals on CBD.
2 of 3
Photo by Corey Miller
Williamsburg Drug focuses on one CBD oil product line—Ananda Professional, which the company says is designed for the needs of health care professionals and independent pharmacies.
3 of 3
Photo by Corey Miller
Pharmacists at Williamsburg Drug consult and educate customers regarding CBD oil best practices for optimal results.
Walk into gas stations and convenience stores in the Williamsburg area and you may find small bottles filled with an oil which some companies say can help treat cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, ADHD and a number of other health conditions.
This is cannabidiol, or CBD, a non-psychoactive compound found in hemp and marijuana, both different forms of the cannabis plant.
These claims, though, are largely unfounded. CBD is a product where the hype has far outpaced the scientific reality. While research on the benefits of CBD is promising—especially for epilepsy, chronic pain and anxiety—CBD oils, creams and lotions are not the cure-all that some companies market them as.
The CBD industry is largely unregulated, so the quality of products also varies widely. Testing done by the Food and Drug Administration found that some CBD products had lower amounts of CBD than they claimed. There have also been reports that certain CBD products contain contaminants such as pesticides or heavy metals.
“That lack of regulatory oversight puts consumers at risk,” says Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML, a pro-marijuana group. “Not to mention that the amount of CBD that’s in these products is typically not a therapeutic dose.”
But some local businesses are trying to keep CBD from becoming another “snake oil” like those magic elixirs sold out of the backs of wagons in the 1800s.
“Your physician is not going to send you to the Exxon station or the 7-11 or the vape shop for CBD,” says T.W. Taylor, PharmD, pharmacist and owner of independent pharmacy Williamsburg Drug Company.
“People who are serious about their health aren’t going to those places to get it either,” he adds. “They would come to the pharmacy to get quality information and a quality product.”
Williamsburg Drug offers both of those. The store has been selling CBD products—including oils, sprays, salves and soft-gel capsules—for almost two years, says Taylor.
The store focuses on one CBD oil product line—Ananda Professional, which the company says is designed for the needs of health care professionals and independent pharmacies. The company also makes it easy for consumers to check on quality.
“You can scan the product’s QR code with your phone and get the certificate of analysis for that bottle right then,” says Taylor. “It will include not only what’s in it, but more importantly what’s not in it.”
To help consumers—and their own employees—learn more about the benefits of CBD, Williamsburg Drug hosts public talks on CBD every few months. Taylor says these are some of their more popular events.
Local health care professionals also refer patients to Williamsburg Drug to find a quality CBD product. One of these is Dr. Rick Campana, MD, FASAM, a Williamsburg area addiction medicine specialist in private practice, who says some of the benefits are “fairly significant.”
He said the “three big ones” are treating insomnia, general anxiety disorders and inflammation and pain.
For people with chronic pain, CBD may also be a good alternative for certain pain medications, which can have serious side effects with long-term use. This includes over-the-counter drugs like ibuprofen and prescription opioids.
One thing going for CBD is that most people can safely take it, even at high doses, says Campana, although this compound doesn’t work for everyone.
Some of the most common side effects of CBD include dry mouth, reduced appetite, diarrhea, drowsiness and fatigue. It may also interact with some medications such as blood thinners.
Research on the benefits and safety of CBD is starting to take off. Researchers from institutions such as Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore and the University of California at San Diego are studying its potential uses.
So far, the FDA has only approved CBD for one condition—the treatment of seizures associated with two rare forms of epilepsy. The U.S. government also recently announced that it will spend $3 million to study CBD’s benefits for pain.
Campana cautions against people trying to self-treat with CBD rather than working with a doctor who can recommend it.
Some health professionals, like Campana, are licensed by the State of Virginia to issue written certifications to patients for both CBD oils and oils with low amounts of THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana.
Campana doesn’t recommend any THC-containing cannabis products for people under age 25 years because of the potential negative effects on their still-developing brains.
Pedini says even if CBD companies have test results for their products—including ones accessed by a QR code—the industry’s self-regulation is still concerning.
“Not all CBD is created equal, and it really falls on the consumer to do their research,” says Pedini. “When in doubt, look at what your state’s regulatory model provides for, and see if you can get a regulated product at your state level.”
Shawn is an American transplant to Canada, which in 2019 legalized the production and sale of cannabis extracts like CBD, as well as edible cannabis and cannabis topicals.
757-229-1041 • williamsburgdrug.com