Cannabidiol (CBD)

CBD Image Source: PubChem
Molecular Formula: C₂₁H₃₀O₂
Image credit: PubChem

CBD has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-convulsant, anti-psychotic, anti-oxidant, neuroprotective and immunomodulatory effects.

CBD is not intoxicating and may alleviate some of the potentially unwanted side-effects of THC. GW Pharmaceuticals.
Cannabinoid Science: Cannabinoid Compounds.

CBD was added to the Australian Government Poisons Standard / Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Medicines and Poisons (SUSMP)) under Schedule 4 on June 1, 2015. Australian Government Therapeutic Goods Administration.
Reasons for the medicines scheduling delegates final decisions, March 2015 (Medicines)

CANNABIDIOL in preparations for therapeutic use except when containing more than 2 per cent of other cannabinoids found in cannabis.

Additionally, in the same edition, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) updated the entry in Schedule 9 for Tetrahydrocannabinols to read;

TETRAHYDROCANNABINOLS and their alkyl homologues except:

when separately specified in this Schedule;

when included in Schedule 4 or Schedule 8;

in hemp seed oil, containing 50 mg/kg or less of tetrahydrocannabinols when labelled with a warning statement:

Not for internal use; or

Not to be taken; or

in products for purposes other than internal human use containing 50 mg/kg or less of tetrahydrocannabinols.

Furthermore, CBD is also a constituent of Sativex®. Sativex® is listed in the Poisons Standard as NABIXIMOLS under Schedule 8.

By virtue of its schedule 8 listing, NABIXIMOLS is thought of as being available in Australia, and was referred to by Family Voice Australia in their Senate submission, arguing that cannabis based medicines are already available in Australia. Submission to the Senate Inquiry from Family Voice Australia. [ pdf ]

The importer of the product, Novartis, has written to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, in answers to Questions on Notice from the Inquiry into the Regulator of Medicinal Cannabis Bill 2014, to say that Sativex is *not* available in Australia. Novartis – answers to written questions taken on notice [ pdf ]

Cannabidiol has most recently been linked to the speedier healing of bone fractures. Washington Post. Another medical use for pot: Healing broken bones

The Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published a study by Tel Aviv University and Hebrew University researchers showing, the administration of the non-psychotropic component cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) significantly helps heal bone fractures. Cannabidiol, a Major Non-Psychotropic Cannabis Constituent Enhances Fracture Healing and Stimulates Lysyl Hydroxylase Activity in Osteoblasts.
Kogan NM, Melamed E, Wasserman E, Raphael B, Breuer A, Stok KS, Sondergaard R, Escudero AV, Baraghithy S, Attar-Namdar M, Friedlander-Barenboim S, Mathavan N, Isaksson H, Mechoulam R, Müller R, Bajayo A, Gabet Y, Bab I.
J Bone Miner Res. 2015 Mar 19. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.2513. [Epub ahead of print]
PMID: 25801536

Cannabidiol (CBD)

Further reading

CBD articles and editorials