Texas could soon experience a boom in stores that sell CBD oil, used by many as a natural remedy for many common ailments.
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is controversial because similar to medical marijuana and other CBD products, it’s not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for its medical benefits.
Cannabidiol is one of the two main components in marijuana, but unlike tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, cannabidiol doesn't produce a high.
Owners of Kansas City-based CBD American Shaman said they've experienced a spike in demand and now have big expansion plans for Texas.
Vince Sanders, the company's CEO, says they just opened the company's fourth CBD-oil specialty shop in North Texas.
He said the company has plans to open 30 stores within 90 days in Texas.
This, while, as recently reported by our partners at the Dallas Morning News, the state health department is still investigating the a change to policy that would pull CBD-oil based edibles from store shelves.
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"So many people have been through the pharmaceutical rabbit hole and found that the side effects are worse than what they were trying to treat to begin with!" said Sanders.
Esther McKenna of Carrollton said she tried CBD oil after her arthritis worsened to a point of debilitating pain.
"That was the first time in a long time nothing hurt," she said. "It was great!"
Since then, she drinks a half dropper full of CBD oil twice a day and says the pain is gone without having to change anything else to her daily routine.
"It's not pot. It's not illegal and oh my gosh, does it work," said McKenna.
McKenna claims she doesn't experience negative side effects, but some nutritionist experts say CBD oil can cause adverse reactions like diarrhea, anxiety and nausea.
Pain management physicians warn that while CBD oil may show promise, patients should do their research.
"We are excited about the potential these products have as an alternatives to narcotics but it's important to understand that right now, there are no clinical studies that find they are safe and effective. Remember, like any herbal supplement, they're addressing symptoms and not curing the underlying cause," said Dr. Aaron Shiraz, board certified anesthesiologist and founder of ZeroNarcotics.com.
