For every cannabis advocate, there is likely at least one skeptic. Unfortunately, advocates can’t understand why so many people are either skeptical or critical of recreational and medical cannabis. Perhaps advocates are fueling the skepticism along with manufacturers of all sorts of CBD and THC health supplements.
A case in point is a new THC edible purported by its manufacturer to help users lose weight without exercise or dietary changes. The product was recently featured in a New York Times piece by contributor Valeriya Safronova. Made by a Colorado company, it is supposed to help control appetite so that users can lose weight. The manufacturer claims it does not give you the munchies, either.
The Secret Is THCV
So what is the secret to this amazing diet edible? Apparently, it’s a cannabinoid known as Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV). Though the cannabinoid is similar to THC in some ways, it is said to not have intoxicating effects. It is also believed to have a wide-ranging number of health benefits, including the ability to control the appetite.
Unfortunately, there is no hard science to back up claims that THCV can be effectively used as a diet supplement. The manufacturer behind the Colorado product insists that it commissioned a study in partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Mayo Clinic. Their alleged study showed 100% effectiveness. In other words, every study participant demonstrated weight loss without any changes in diet or exercise.
The problem is that neither the NIH nor the Mayo Clinic says they have any record of the study. The study has not been published in any scientific journal either. Meanwhile, the Healthline website says that the only confirmed studies in support of THCV as a diet supplement are animal studies.
An Unregulated Market
What we have here is a product that exists within a largely unregulated market. The company behind the weight loss edible does not have to worry about violating standards for marketing cannabis-based health supplements because there are none. They can claim anything they want, and get away with it, because there is no one to stop them from doing so.
Meanwhile, companies like Payson Utah’s Pure Utah medical cannabis dispensary do everything they can to abide by the law. They follow Utah regulations to the letter. But who knows? Down the street, there could be another retail outlet selling all sorts of unregulated CBD products manufactured by companies who have no trouble claiming they are miracle cures for anything that ails you.
A Miracle Plant
Unfortunately, the cannabis industry has been allowed to flourish to the degree that is it now rivaling the health supplements industry in inflated claims. If one didn’t know better, it would be easy to spend just 30 minutes doing some online research only to walk away believing that cannabis is a miracle plant.
Not only can it allegedly help you lose weight without any exercise and dietary changes, but it can also supposedly cure everything from high blood pressure to cancer. At least that is what manufacturers and advocates are claiming. In fact, there are so many unsubstantiated claims about cannabis’ health benefits that you cannot keep up without a program.
Perhaps some of the skepticism toward cannabis would die down if manufacturers and advocates would adopt a more pragmatic approach. Trumpeting the alleged benefits of the plant without any scientific proof to back up such claims only makes skeptics more skeptical. We all know there isn’t a single substance on Earth capable of curing everything that ails you. Yet a lot of people portray cannabis that way. It’s no wonder others doubt.
