CBD oil is the new craze and has been exploding on the shelves from health food stores to conventional drug stores, salons to pet stores. Cannabidiol or CBD is extracted from the flowers or buds of either hemp or marijuana plants. CBD oil sourced from hemp has become legalized in many states and with that readily available for the general public.
While I personally and professionally find hemp to be a very therapeutic botanical, I want to offer caution with using it with other medications. There has been research suggesting drug herb interactions with the following medications and phytochemicals from hemp and cannabis:
- Warfarin
- Statins
- Erythromycin
- Azole antifungals
- Some Stimulants
- Anticholinergic drugs
(This is not a definitive list and should not be used as any type of medical advice)
Botanicals and drugs can interact in many different ways. They can potentiate or make each other stronger. They can also weaken each other. They can decrease or increase absorption. They can also decrease or increase excretion, typically through how the liver clears them. You may take a medication and a botanical and have no symptoms, but your medication may be now too strong or not strong enough as a result of taking a supplement with it. This is why it’s very important to share with your doctor what supplements you are taking and have a physician that is aware of drug-herb interactions.
CBD oil offers remarkable properties that can help a myriad of conditions, (more blogs on this to come) however, it should be used thoughtfully and safely! Chat with your doctor to be sure CBD is safe before starting it.
- Zanoni C, Aiello G, Arnoldi A, Lammi C. Hempseed Peptides Exert Hypocholesterolemic Effects with a Statin-Like Mechanism. J Agric Food Chem. 2017 Oct 11;65(40):8829-8838. doi: 10.1021/acs.jafc.7b02742. Epub 2017 Oct 2.
- Yamaori S, Koeda K, Kushihara M, Hada Y, Yamamoto I, Watanabe K Comparison in the in vitro inhibitory effects of major phytocannabinoids and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons contained in marijuana smoke on cytochrome P450 2C9 activity.Drug Metab Pharmacokinet.2012;27(3):294-300. Epub 2011 Dec 13.
- Ge B1, Zhang Z, Zuo Z. Updates on the clinical evidenced herb-warfarin interactions. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:957362. doi: 10.1155/2014/957362. Epub 2014 Mar 18.