The World Health Organization (WHO) held their 39th annual meeting in Geneva, Switzerland on November 6-10, 2017.
At this meeting, an internationally known Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) distributed an overview of medical diseases for which CBD has therapeutic benefits. In their full, 27-page report summarizing the meeting, the World Health Organization (WHO) was unambiguous in their statement that “In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential.” The report also includes a detailed list of conditions that could be treated with CBD products. The list is as follows:
- Alzheimer’s disease: anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic in in-vitro & in-vivo moels of A–beta-evoked neuroinflammatory & neuroegenerative responses.
- Parkinson’s disease: attenuation of the dopaminergic impairment in-vivo; neuroprotection; improvement of psychiatric rating & reduction of agitation, nightmare & aggressive behavior in patients.
- Multiple sclerosis: improved signs of EAE in mice, anti-inflammatory & immunomodulatory properties.
- Huntington’s disease: neroprotective & anti-oxidant in mice transgenic models
- Hypoxia-ischemia injury: short-term neuroprotective effects; inhibition of excitotoxicity, oxidative stress & inflammation in-vitro & in rodent rats.
- Pain: analgesic in patients with neuropathic pain resistant to other treatments.
- Psychosis: attenuation of the behavioural & glial changes in animal moels of schizophrenia; anti-psychotic properties on ketmine-induced symptoms.
- Anxiety: reduction of muscular tension, restlessness, fatigue, problems in concentration, improvement of social interactions in rodent models of anxiety & stress; reduced social anxiety in patients.
- Depression: anti-depressant effect in genetic rodent models of depression.
- Cancer: anti-proliferative & anti-invasive actions in a large range of cancer types; induction of autophagy-mediated cancer cell death; chemopreventive effects.
- Nausea: suppression of nausea & conditioned gaping in rats
- Inflammatory: anti-inflammatory propereties in several in-vitro & in-vivo models; inhibition of inflammatory cytokines & pathways.
- Rheumatoid arthritis: inhibition of TNF-alpha in animal models.
- Infection: activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
- Inflammatory bowel & Crohn’s disease: inhibition of macrophage recruitment & TNF-alpha secretion in-vivo & ex-vivo; reduction in disease activity index in Crohn’s patients.
- Cardiovascular disease: reduced infarct size through anti-oxidant & anti-inflammatory properties in-vitro & in-vivo.
- Diabetic complications: attentuation of fibrosis & myocardial dysfunction.
On December 4, 2017, WHO went on to officially recommend that CBD no longer be internationally scheduled as a controlled substance. This sends a powerful message to the entire world that CBD should ultimately be legalized. Although the organization still isn’t openly advocating for regular CBD use, they did emphasize the fact that it has great healing potential and there is a pressing need for more research on the cannabinoid.
