For Immediate Release

Contact:
Mike "Zappy" Zapolin, Zappy Inc., mikezappy@aol.com, tel 617.447.9012
Steven Hoffman, Compass Natural, steve@compassnatural.com, tel 303.807.1042

Did TEDx Miss the Point on Potential Therapeutic
Benefits of Hemp-derived CBD Oil?


Edison, NJ (April 7, 2015) – When Mike “Zappy” Zapolin—founder of Zappy Inc. hemp-based nutraceuticals and a visionary in the CBD arena—was invited to speak at TEDx Boca Raton in late March, he was eager to share his studies and research.

But less than two weeks before the event, Zapolin’s talk was cancelled by TEDx. The company’s organizers sent an email stating, “After much debate and discussion with the team, we have decided that Boca Raton is not ready for a talk about Cannabis. It is a very uncertain topic and not enough scientific data to substantiate what you are declaring to be true.”

It is ironic that the topic of this year’s TEDx Boca Raton talk is “Breaking Barriers,” as it appears TEDx Boca Raton may have missed the point. Zapolin’s talk was intended to shed light on the potential therapeutic effects of CBD oil through the latest information on the subject – breaking down the barriers of myth and misinformation that are associated with the hemp plant. Indeed, educating Boca Raton, TEDx and the nation through a transformational talk about CBD epitomizes the TEDx concept of an “idea worth spreading.”

10,000 Years of Traditional Hemp Use

CBD is derived from the industrial hemp plant, a variety of cannabis sativa that contains less than 1 percent THC, the compound that produces mind-altering effects. Industrial hemp has been used for more than 10,000 years for food, fuel, paper, clothing, rope and cosmetics. Marijuana, on the other hand, is a variety of cannabis sativa that’s traditionally very high in THC, and low in CBD.

Unlike THC, CBD is non-psychoactive and does not act the same on brain pathways as THC. In other words, it just can’t make you high. Ever. A review published in Current Drug Safety concluded that CBD is well tolerated and safe, even at high doses, and does not interfere with psychomotor and psychological functions (1). In fact, many studies suggest that CBD protects against the intoxicating effects of THC, including memory impairment and paranoia (2).
 
More than 400 phytonutrients have been identified in various parts of the industrial hemp plant, including terpenoids, essential oils, antioxidants and cannabinoids, especially cannabidiol (CBD). Recent studies have highlighted the potential therapeutic benefits of CBD for many conditions, including:

  • Neurological (3)
  • Inflammatory (4)
  • Cancer (5, 6)
  • Cardiovascular (7)
  • Depression and anxiety (8, 9)
  • Neuropathic pain (10, 11, 12)
  • Symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis (13, 14)
  • Seizures (15, 16)

These are among a few of the scientific, peer-reviewed, research studies that Zapolin intended to highlight at the cancelled talk. His goal: to educate people on the extraordinary potential of CBD to help promote general health and wellness.

Standing Up for a Plant

“I feel I have to stand up for the plant and the people who don't have a voice,” Zapolin says. “There is so much to benefit from exploring the potential from CBD oils, and progress in this field should not be slowed down by people's fear. Indeed, this information needs to be shared with the public. And with 58 percentof Florida voters in favor of legal medical marijuana use in the state, we believe Boca Raton is indeed ready to hear the news about cannabis, hemp and CBD oil."
    
Zapolin has been at the forefront of much development work in the hemp CBD arena. Originally the visionary behind such Internet brands as Music.com, Computer.com and Creditcards.com, Zapolin, an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, is also the creator of the Harvard Business School elective “eBusiness.” He has been featured on NBC’s Today Show and recently spoke at the 2014 Milken Institute Global Conference. Currently, he’s co-producing a documentary film, The Reality Of Truth, with Deepak Chopra.


About Zappy Browns

In 2014 Zappy Inc. acquired Browns Botanicals—a nutraceuticals company focusing on hemp-based products that won the Cannabis Cup Seattle 2014 Best Non-Edible Medically Infused Product. Zappy Browns is focused on introducing a line of hemp CBD formulations to potentially help with specific conditions, including pain, anxiety and sleep. Zappy Browns hemp CBD tincture bottles and soft gels are being created in partnership with MetaBrand and will soon roll out nationally throughout the natural products industry. The company will be featuring its new products at Natural Products Expo East, Sept. 17-19, 2015, in Baltimore, MD. For current product information, visit www.browns-botanicals.com.

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FOOTNOTES
1.    Bergamaschi MM, Queiroz RHC, Zuardi AW, Crippa JA. Safety and Side Effects of Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa Constituent. Current Drug Safety, 2011; 6:4 (237-249)
2.    Niesink RJM, van Laar MW. Does Cannabidiol Protect Against Adverse Psychological Effects of THC?Front Psychiatry. 2013; 4:130.
3.     Fernández-Ruiz J1, Sagredo O, Pazos MR, García C, Pertwee R, Mechoulam R, Martínez-Orgado J.Cannabidiol for neurodegenerative disorders: important new clinical applications for this phytocannabinoid?, 2013 Feb; 75(2):323-33.
4.     Nagarkatti P, Pandey R, Rieder SA, Hegde VL, Nagarkatti M. Cannabinoids as novel anti-inflammatory drugs. Future Med Chem. 2009 Oct; 1(7): 1333–1349.
5.     Massi P1, Solinas M, Cinquina V, Parolaro D.Cannabidiol as potential anticancer drug.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2013 Feb; 75(2):303-12.  
6.     McAllister SD1, Christian RT, Horowitz MP, Garcia A, Desprez PY.Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of Id-1 gene expression in aggressive breast cancer cells.Mol Cancer Ther. 2007 Nov; 6(11):2921-7.
7.     Stanley CP1, Hind WH, O'Sullivan SE.Is the cardiovascular system a therapeutic target for cannabidiol?Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2013 Feb; 75(2):313-22.
8.     de Mello Schier AR, de Oliveira Ribeiro NP, Coutinho DS, Machado S, Arias-Carrión O, Crippa JA, Zuardi AW, Nardi AE, Silva AC1.Antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like effects of cannabidiol: a chemical compound of Cannabis sativa.CNS Neurol Disord Drug Targets. 2014; 13(6):953-60.
9.     Schier AR1, Ribeiro NP, Silva AC, Hallak JE, Crippa JA, Nardi AE, Zuardi AW.Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an anxiolytic drug.Rev Bras Psiquiatr. 2012 Jun; 34 Suppl 1:S104-10.
10.    Fine PG1, Rosenfeld MJ.Cannabinoids for neuropathic pain.Curr Pain Headache Rep. 2014 Oct; 18(10):451.  
11.    Serpell M1, Ratcliffe S, Hovorka J, Schofield M, Taylor L, Lauder H, Ehler E.A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel group study of THC/CBD spray in peripheral neuropathic pain treatment.Eur J Pain. 2014 Aug; 18(7):999-1012.  
12.    Ward SJ1, McAllister SD, Kawamura R, Murase R, Neelakantan H, Walker EA.Cannabidiol inhibits paclitaxel-induced neuropathic pain through 5-HT(1A) receptors without diminishing nervous system function or chemotherapy efficacy.Br J Pharmacol. 2014 Feb; 171(3):636-45.  
13.    Moreno Torres I1, Sanchez AJ, Garcia-Merino A.Evaluation of the tolerability and efficacy of Sativex in multiple sclerosis.Expert Rev Neurother. 2014 Nov; 14(11):1243-50.  
14.    Barnes MP.Sativex: clinical efficacy and tolerability in the treatment of symptoms of multiple sclerosis andneuropathic pain.Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2006 Apr; 7(5):607-15.
15.    Welty TE1, Luebke A2, Gidal BE. Cannabidiol: promise and pitfalls.Epilepsy Curr. 2014 Sep; 14(5):250-2.
16.    Devinsky O1, Cilio MR, Cross H, Fernandez-Ruiz J, French J, Hill C, Katz R, Di Marzo V, Jutras-Aswad D, Notcutt WG, Martinez-Orgado J,Robson PJ, Rohrback BG, Thiele E, Whalley B, Friedman D.Cannabidiol: pharmacology and potential therapeutic role in epilepsy and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Epilepsia. 2014 Jun; 55(6):791-802.