CBD Oil and Breathing
Is CBD Oil Beneficial for Breathing?
Dear Dr. Mahler:
I am writing because I want to learn more about CBD oil and whether it can help my breathing difficulty. I have had COPD for about 10 years, and find that it is getting harder to breathe. My medications are ProAir, Advair Diskus, and Spiriva powder. I used to golf 3-4 times a week, but found it too hard to play with my group this past summer. So, my main activity is playing cards in the afternoon.
One of my girlfriends was reading about CBD oil and suggested that I try it. However, I checked out information on the internet, but it is really confusing. I want to see if the oil can help me feel better and breathe easier, but I don’t want to get high.
What do you know about CBD oil for my COPD?
Many thanks.
Gloria from The Villages, FL
Dear Gloria,
Your question is a common one. Several patients in my practice have asked about CBD oil. I will try to explain this as simple as possible as the topic can be quite complicated.
The term cannabis refers to both hemp and marijuana. However, they are grown for different purposes and the body reacts differently to these substances.
Hemp plant: the source of CBD oil
A hemp field in Côtes-d’Armor, Brittany, France. It is Europe’s largest hemp producer.
Hemp is a strain of Cannabis Sativa that is grown specifically for oils, skin ointments, fiber used for clothing, and health benefits.
Hemp is a fast growing plant that has high levels of cannabidiol (abbreviated CBD) and very low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (abbreviated THC). To be considered hemp, the plant must have less than 0.3 percent THC.
CBD oil is extracted from the plant usually by the CO2 extraction method – considered to be one of the safest and cleanest method.
It is different than hemp oil which is obtained by cold pressing only the hemp seeds. Hemp oil is an ingredient in some beauty products and does NOT contain CBD.
CBD works with the endocannabinoid system in our body which is responsible for maintaining stable conditions inside our body despite external changes (the process is called homeostasis). For more information, see How CBD Works.
Marijuana is a strain of Cannabis Sativa that has resinous glands that grow on the flowers and some leaves. Marijuana has high levels of THC which provides psychoactive effects or the “high.” Marijuana has low levels of CBD.
Gloria – Learn how CBD works with your body’s cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2. Receptors are proteins that receive and act on signals from compounds, like CBD, which then affect biological systems.
I searched the medical literature and found no published studies to date on the effects of CBD on breathing or breathlessness. There was one study which examined a combination of CBD and THC (or placebo) placed under the tongue in 4 individuals with COPD. Then, the subjects breathed carbon dioxide which causes breathing difficulty [published in the journal Chronic Respiratory Disease in 2011, volume 8, pages 109-18. [doi: 10.1177/1479972310391283]. Subjects reported no difference in breathlessness between CBD/THC combo or placebo.
CBD oil
It is important to recognize that CBD oil comes from high CBD, low THC hemp and is legal in the United States. If you decide to try CBD you should:
consider whether you want to take it as an oil (usually placed under the tongue) or as an edible (already mixed with a food)
purchase it from a reputable company that obtains the hemp plant legally.
It would be reasonable to try it for a week or so, and then stop it for a week or so, and compare your breathing with or without use of CBD.
Please note, the advice provided is not a substitute for asking your health care professional about your specific situation.
Sincerely,
Donald A. Mahler, M.D.