CBD has potential, but do homework

DAVIE, Fla. - From a chimpanzee with cerebral palsy to seniors with Parkinson's disease, CBD has a lot of potential but the market is young and it's important to tread carefully, say its proponents.

“It's so new and so fresh,” said Arby Barroso, co-founder ad chief evangelist of Green Roads World, which is launching its CBD products in the HME market. “We see the market as definitely going in a medical direction, but I think there's also the over-the-counter market, similar to fish oil supplements.”

Green Roads' products are tested frequently using third-party labs to ensure the products contain no pesticides, solvents or other harmful chemicals, says Barroso.

“This is a supplement that goes directly to the receptors in your body,” he said. “We have to make sure we are doing right by the consumer.”

Delivery systems

While CBD products can be formulated in a variety of ways, including edible gummies and candies, seniors prefer oral tinctures and topical creams, says Laura Baldwin Fuentes, co-founder and licensed compound pharmacist.

“Many of them have aches and pains from arthritis and the topicals work really well,” she said. “With the tinctures, a lot of people, when they start taking it on a regular basis, they start noticing a decrease in their prescription meds.”

Test drive

Green Roads offers a display for HME providers featuring a single dose, prefilled oral syringe so that customers who are unsure whether they want to give CBD a try, says Baldwin Fuentes.

“They can take a dose, see how they feel, how it tastes, before investing in buying a whole bottle,” she said. “We are confident they are going to try it once and want it more.”