If you're thinking of using CBD for pain relief, there's some things you need to know.
Since Congress passed the 2018 farm bill that deregulated hemp with 0.3 percent or less THC by dry weight, you'll see more CBD, or cannabidiol, which is one of 80-120 derivatives of marijuana and hemp plants, being sold.
Associate professor of family medicine at UTHealth Dr. Thomas Northrup said there's a lot of potential in CBD for treating many illnesses. There's about 850 products out there.
"FDA does not regulate what's in them currently. Seventy percent of them will either contain more or less CBD than the maker is advertising," said Northrup.
He said about 20 percent have THC in them, which could cause you to fail a drug test.
"The best thing people can do is talk to their healthcare providers if they're thinking about taking CBD because we know it can interact with some other medications and potentially cause them to not work in a manner that their doctors or they would prefer," said Northrup.
He recommended to look for a manufacturer that engages in third party testing--get someone outside of their lab to test for chemicals present in them.