Health Canada has reviewed cannabidiol (CBD) and deemed it “safe and tolerable” for short-term use. Health Canada’s report looked at dosages ranging from 20 milligrams to up to 200 mg per day.
As of now, all CBD products must go through a heavily regulated cannabis supply chain. One can only sell CBD in cannabis stores. This report may change that.
Three Years to Tell Us CBD is Safe and Tolerable
Health Canada’s review took three years to complete. It was a nine-person advisory committee that looked at the CBD regulations. They spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayers’ dollars on reviewing CBD. Ultimately, they decided that healthy adults should be free to purchase CBD from regular retailers, like grocers and health food specialty stores.
Of course, many medical cannabis patients don’t need Health Canada’s approval that CBD is safe and tolerable. They’ve felt the benefits firsthand and don’t need an advisory team full of Health Canada bureaucrats telling them what’s safe and tolerable.
U.S. Residents are free to purchase CBD products over-the-counter at any retail establishment. But, just as the covid regime showed, what’s considered “safe and tolerable” changes once you cross the 49th parallel.
Absence of Evidence is Not Evidence of Absence
Health Canada says CBD is safe and tolerable. Still, they warn there is “little scientific evidence on the safety of CBD taken long term.” They suggest consumers taking CBD beyond 30 days speak to their doctor.
The advisory committee agreed with the World Health Organization’s assessment that CBD is not addictive or habit-forming. But the Canadian panel warned that there is a lack of scientific evidence to support using CBD for sleep or pain.
Of course, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. Health Canada says there’s no evidence that CBD treats a range of ailments safely and effectively in the long term. This is not, by itself, evidence that CBD is dangerous to take in the long term.
Unfortunately, public health bureaucrats err on the side of caution. That wouldn’t be an issue if they discussed CBD’s safety and efficacy for seniors, children, or medical patients.
But they’re not.
Health Canada discusses how healthy adult Canadians should (or shouldn’t) access CBD. And not just adults but their pets as well.
Is CBD Safe and Tolerable for Pets?
Health Canada doesn’t recommend CBD for your pets unless you’ve consulted with a veterinarian. CBD is okay for dogs if it’s under 2mg and used for the treatment of osteoarthritis. But that’s it. They recommend selling CBD for pets in veterinarian clinics only.
Health Canada’s review may call CBD safe and tolerable. Still, they call for “high-quality clinical research” into the safety and efficacy of CBD and other phytocannabinoids. They want these studies funded by governments via the taxpayers.
Conclusions
Health Canada’s advisory committee says CBD is safe and tolerable for the short term. They also agreed there is early evidence that CBD is effective for stress and nervousness. But until they receive more funding, they hold the country’s CBD consumers hostage with their gatekeeping.
At the end of the day, whether CBD is as dangerous as opioids or as safe as apple sauce doesn’t matter. As Wilfred Laurier once said, “Canada is free and freedom is its nationality.” It is not the business of Health Canada bureaucrats whether Canadian adults consume CBD.