Why CBD may be our surprising savior in the age of antibiotic resistance

Your body’s endocannabinoid system regulates a staggering range of biological processes—from mood to memory to appetite to inflammation response. So it’s a real shame that it’s been all but ignored by modern science… until recently, that is.

Now that the medical community is actually giving marijuana the credit it deserves—as a medicine and not just a recreational drug—people are finally paying attention to the role that endocannabinoids play in human health.

We now know that cannabis (the scientific name for the marijuana plant) interacts with this complex endocannabinoid system to deliver an impressively diverse list of benefits. (Which shouldn’t surprise anyone—just think about how many pharmaceutical drugs came from plants!)

With more than 300 species of marijuana to investigate, the discoveries are just getting started. And the research can’t happen fast enough—because as this latest news demonstrates, cannabis could prove to be a real game changer for modern medicine.

In fact, it might just help us avert a global disaster…

As powerful as prescription drugs  

First things first: Today’s research deals with cannabidiol (CBD)—one of marijuana’s main cannabinoids.

Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)—another main cannabinoid, which also has a host of medical benefits—CBD isn’t psychoactive, and therefore, won’t get you high. But it can do plenty of other things, some of which I’ve mentioned here before.

CBD recently received FDA approval as a treatment for epilepsy, for one. But researchers have been hard at work investigating its benefits against a number of other conditions, including anxiety, pain, inflammation… and most recently, infections.

And as it turns out, CBD packs a powerful punch against Gram-positive bacteria—that is, the kind that triggers serious infections like Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

How powerful? Well, researchers found that its potency rivaled the bacteria-killing powers of conventional heavy-duty antibiotics, like vancomycin or daptomycin. Not only that, but scientists also found that CBD remained effective against bacteria that have grown resistant to these two common antibiotics.

And in my opinion, here’s the piece de resistance: CBD also appears to effectively disrupt biofilms—a type of bacterial growth behind particularly tough-to-treat infections. (If you’ve ever had to undergo a biofilm cleanse, then you know how difficult it can be.)

So, fingers crossed here, but… CBD looks like a true winner in this fight.

Preventing an antibiotic apocalypse

Research showing that CBD is effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria—and that it doesn’t lose effectiveness after extended treatment—is nothing short of amazing. Because simply put, we’re running out of antibiotics.

Big Pharma hasn’t churned out a new antibiotic since the 80s. They’ve been too busy focusing their research on cash cows like statins and erectile dysfunction drugs. And the government hasn’t given them any incentive to do otherwise.

But it’s not all the drug industry’s fault. Patients and doctors are guilty parties in this plight, too. The former, for demanding antibiotics at the slightest hint of a sinus infection. And the latter, for appeasing patients by handing out unnecessary prescriptions like candy.

And let’s not forget the antibiotics we’ve allowed into our food supply. Antibiotic residue has risen by 800 percent in factory farmed meats, milk, and cheeses. So is it any surprise that millions of Americans wind up with antibiotic-resistant infections every year?

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: We’re headed toward a true apocalyptic crisis here. So if CBD can help pull us back from the brink, I’d call that a big win for everyone… except Big Pharma, of course.

I’ve personally been prescribing CBD to patients for years now.  First in California, and now here in New York. And I feel really fortunate to be licensed, as it has really changed my practice. In fact, I write much fewer medication prescriptions now—for sleep, pain, anxiety, you name it.

Needless to say, you won’t find an antibiotic on the market that can do all of that. So CBD’s rising popularity is a real breakthrough by any standard. And that’s exactly why I’ve given it so much lip service lately—both here and in my monthly newsletter, Logical Health Alternatives.

In fact, the July and August issues really warm up the conversation around CBD and sing its praises—as an all-natural foil for pain, metabolic disease, depression, and anxiety.

So if you haven’t yet, consider subscribing today. Subscribers have access to all of my past content in the archives. And believe me, you don’t want to miss this.

Source:

“Cannabidiol is a powerful new antibiotic.” Science Daily, 06/23/2019. (sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/06/190623143055.htm)