Medical News
A component in cannabis called CBD is claimed to help everything from Alzheimer’s to anxiety. Despite a boom in sales, there’s little evidence supporting the claims
Health
14 August 2019
By Jessica Hamzelou
Cannabis plants contain many different chemicals, including CBDHeroimages/Getty
“IT WILL cure, eliminate or definitely help any disease,” an assistant in a shop just around the corner from New Scientist’s office in London tells me. Although these extraordinary claims aren’t made on the product’s packaging, the substance it contains is quickly gaining a reputation among consumers as a cure-all. Pain, anxiety, depression, cancer, psoriasis, Alzheimer’s, irritable bowel syndrome – you name it, someone somewhere is saying this substance will help.
This apparently miraculous compound is cannabidiol, better known as CBD, a component of cannabis. Growing health claims coupled with a …