Mayo Clinic minute: Is CBD safe to use?

CBD has surpassed all other supplements in history in terms of rapid rise in sales and use in the U.S., says Dr. Brent Bauer, director of the Mayo Clinic Integrative Medicine and Health Research Program. It's being marketed to help with a myriad of aliments and diseases.

Before considering CBD, Dr. Bauer says it's important to speak with your health care provider as CBD may interact with other medications that you're taking, such as blood thinners.

"CBD comes from Cannabis sativa, which is the plant from which we get marijuana, which has THC, which is the effect that gets people high," says Dr. Bauer.

CBD is being touted to help treat nausea, anxiety, cancer, arthritis and even Alzheimer's. But does it work?

"We know in animal studies and some test-tube studies, it seems to be pretty good for anti-inflammatory, may have some anti-pain (properties), and it certainly has some effect on mood," says Dr. Bauer.

Patients, such as those being treated with cancer, should talk with their care team before using CBD.

"It can interfere with the metabolism of some chemotherapy agents," says Dr. Bauer.

He says there needs to be more research on CBD. Early indicators show that it's safe, but many questions remain.

"If it's strong enough to help you, it's strong enough to hurt you," says Dr. Bauer.

So does this mean avoid it? Dr. Bauer says that he tells his patients to do their homework and be sure to talk with their health care provider.

"I'm very optimistic that there will be something beneficial there. I don't think it's going to be magic," he says.

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