By RQS Editorial Team


Pain is a complex and individual experience. Our unique biology, social environment, and past experiences influence our perception of pain—something that makes it very difficult to treat. With the challenges that chronic pain management presents and the controversy surrounding opioid pain medication, doctors and patients alike are keen to find an effective alternative. Some have set their sights on CBD.

Cannabis and Pain

The ongoing legalization of cannabis in Europe and North America means that cultural acceptance has increased the appeal of using cannabis for physical wellness. Cannabis contains over a hundred different cannabinoids, the two most abundant of which are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). In terms of scientific study, THC has received the lion’s share of the focus, but that is now changing.

Our understanding of the relationship between CBD and pain is evolving; however, there is a need for comprehensive clinical research to obtain conclusions on its efficacy. Most of the enlightening studies thus far have been performed in animal models of pain. Nevertheless, many of these studies have centred on CBD's unique interaction with the endocannabinoid system.

CBD and the Endocannabinoid System

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a cell-signalling system in humans and other mammals that plays a regulatory role in the body. Among other components, it consists of receptors that interact with naturally occurring cannabinoids—known as endocannabinoids—throughout the brain and body.

There are over 100 known cannabinoids in cannabis, all with different profiles and effects—and all are believed to interface with the ECS to some degree. It’s known that the ECS regulates bodily functions related to metabolism, appetite, mood, anxiety, and pain perception, but the impact of cannabinoids on these functions is unclear.

CBD and the Endocannabinoid System

Does CBD Help With Pain?

While non-psychotropic, CBD may help the body utilise its endocannabinoids, which act as neurotransmitters. A 2015 study[1] examined whether CBD could influence ECS receptors by increasing levels of anandamide. Anandamide (AEA) is an endocannabinoid associated with reducing pain perception and improving mood.

Additionally, a study[2] published in May 2019 in the Journal of Pain Research examined the mutual relationship between the cannabinoids THC and CBD and chronic pain. The study aimed to evaluate the tolerability and safety of a mouth spray containing both cannabinoids. The product was administered as an add-on natural care product for patients suffering from severe chronic pain.

Studies on CBD and Pain

Finding effective treatments for pain is essential to returning sufferers to good physical and mental health. In what follows, we take a look at the current investigations on CBD in regard to pain conditions and symptoms.

  • Inflammation

Acute inflammation is the body's reaction to injury. In a review[3] published in 2019, CBD was observed for its potential impact on inflammation and oxidative stress via ECS-mediated mechanisms. Although this review is inconclusive and focuses largely on animal studies, it sets the stage for in-depth clinical research.

  • Arthritis

Arthritis is an informal name for joint pain or joint disease. Nearly 60 million adults and 300,000 children have arthritis in some form. There are over 100 types of arthritis and related conditions, and common symptoms include swelling, pain, stiffness, and decreased range of motion.

A 2016 study[4] administered CBD gel to a rat model of arthritis for four days to observe any changes in the condition. This research assessed whether administration of topical CBD could cause long-lasting positive effects. 

  • CBD and Neuropathic Pain

Neuropathic pain is caused by nerve irritation. Symptoms include pins and needles, excruciating pain, and sensitivity issues.

Research regarding CBD’s potential in neuropathic conditions is of mixed opinion. A 2018 review[5] looked at the potential harms associated with the use of CBD and THC for pain, and highlighted the need for further analysis. The review centred around 16 studies (with a total of 1750 participants) analysing the effects of cannabis on different neurological complaints.

How To Use CBD for Pain?

You can purchase CBD in an array of forms. Depending on your intention, different methods of CBD administration may be more or less suitable. Take a look at the methods below to determine which is best for you.

CBD Topicals

CBD balms, salves, and ointments are known as "topical" products. In other words, you apply them directly to the skin. One advantage of topical application is that it only affects the area to which it is applied. The CBD does not make its way into the bloodstream. This makes topicals ideal for those targeting specific areas.

CBD Topicals

Oral and Sublingual CBD

For those looking to benefit the body from within, there are CBD oils, tinctures, and sprays that can be taken orally or placed under the tongue (sublingually). The latter allows CBD to enter the bloodstream directly, making for fast-acting effects. Oral intake, on the other hand, results in longer-lasting effects, but as the CBD must first make its way through the digestive system, it also takes longer to reach circulation.

Generally, it is easy to control your CBD dose with oral sprays, tinctures, and oils. Oils are typically a combination of CBD extract in a plant-based carrier oil, such as olive oil or hemp oil. Capsules are essentially a pill form of CBD oil containing consistent doses. Edibles are food products; think CBD brownies, gummies, and snacks.

Oral and Sublingual CBD

Vaping CBD

Vaping has become a popular method of taking CBD, and indeed, it’s one of the most bioavailable. This means that a large amount of the total CBD content of a given product will actually make it into the bloodstream, in this case via the alveoli of the lungs. There is an assumption that vaping is safer than smoking; however, there are dangers associated with both practices.

Vaping CBD

Is CBD Approved for Pain?

So far, pharmaceutical CBD has only been approved for use in a limited number of instances. The oral spray Sativex (a 1:1 THC:CBD product) is approved in certain countries to treat multiple sclerosis and cancer pain. Epidiolex, also an oral spray, is supported within the US for certain types of epilepsy and seizures associated with tuberous sclerosis. Currently, no research supports CBD alone as a remedy for pain in humans.

Side Effects of CBD

The legal status of cannabis is constantly evolving. Add in the desire for a fresh, plant-derived product, and it's easy to see why the demand for CBD is enormous. Of course, this hype is encouraged to no end by the unparalleled profit margins of manufacturers.

If you are thinking of taking CBD, it is essential to understand the potential side effects. CBD is commonly advertised as a "cure-all" silver bullet with no risks or side effects, but this is untrue. While side effects of CBD are typically mild and non-life-threatening (e.g. diarrhoea, reduced appetite, fatigue), the most significant risk is that CBD may interact with blood thinners, heart medications, and immunosuppressants, among other medications.

Altering the levels of these critical medications in the blood could lead to catastrophic repercussions. More information also needs to be compiled about the safety of CBD in particular populations, such as the elderly, children, the immunocompromised, and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

There is a lack of comprehensive toxicological research devoted to CBD safety. One laboratory study[6] from 2019 demonstrated that when delivered orally to mice, CBD could cause liver damage. The mice that received the highest amounts of CBD exhibited clear evidence of hepatotoxicity. Hepatotoxicity is injury or damage caused to the liver by exposure to drugs. While these results aren’t indicative of such effects in humans, they're still worth considering.

That aside, the World Health Organisation deemed CBD to be well-tolerated with a good safety profile in humans in their critical review report[7] on CBD, published in 2018.

Side Effects of CBD

CBD Is an Unregulated Supplement

CBD is currently classed as an unregulated supplement, so it's hard to know exactly what you are getting. Regulating drug and health authorities worldwide have issued numerous warnings to companies attempting to market unapproved products allegedly containing CBD. Some of these products have been tested for their chemical content, and many were found to make inaccurate claims regarding CBD levels and quality.

You do not have to look far to find anecdotal reports supporting CBD use. That doesn't mean it will be successful for everyone, however. Everyone is unique, and what may suit one person may not suit another. This is never more true than with pain.

Many other factors, such as mood, stress level, environment, previous experiences, and pre-existing medical conditions, affect pain perception. Remember that some of the testimonials you will read are clever marketing designed to lure shoppers into buying more products. It's worth noting that the CBD market is expected to hit $20 billion by the year 2024[8].

Should You Use CBD for Pain?

If you are considering trying CBD, we recommend speaking to your doctor for guidance. Although CBD is non-intoxicating and has a low potential for abuse, it can interact with various medications, and is not for everyone. Still, CBD is an attractive candidate for daily use given its effects on the endocannabinoid system and the body as a whole. However, until there is solid clinical evidence, it is difficult to assess the suitability of CBD for pain management.

External Resources:
  1. Cannabinoids and Epilepsy https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. Effectiveness and tolerability of THC:CBD oromucosal spray as add-on measure in patients with severe chronic pain: analysis of 12-week open-label real-world data provided by the German Pain e-Registry https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  4. Transdermal cannabidiol reduces inflammation and pain-related behaviours in a rat model of arthritis https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  5. Cannabis‐based medicines for chronic neuropathic pain in adults https://www.cochranelibrary.com
  6. Molecules | Free Full-Text | Hepatotoxicity of a Cannabidiol-Rich Cannabis Extract in the Mouse Model | HTML https://www.mdpi.com
  7. CANNABIDIOL (CBD) https://www.who.int
  8. How to Start a CBD Business https://www.businessnewsdaily.com
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: