As a leading producer of hemp-derived CBD products, Charlotte’s Web is putting their money where the research is to verify quality products and elevate the industry.

March 9, 2022

7 Min Read
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While anecdotal proof of benefits of hemp-derived CBD has been around for decades, actual research on products has been limited. This is in part due to hemp being considered a banned substance until the Farm Bill of 2018 changed this status. Still, innovative brands recognize that research is critical to the success of the $1.5 billion hemp-derived CBD industry and that it is necessary to distinguish efficacy of quality products. Charlotte’s Web understands this well. The brand has had an eye to research since its inception, but more recently has upped its research engagement both with partners and initiatives of its own. “I think the important thing is to recognize that manufacturers focused on quality and integrity are investing in studies and research, which are helping to demonstrate that hemp-derived CBD and full spectrum hemp extracts can be beneficial for our general wellness and are safe to use in most circumstances,” says Dr. Jen Palmer, ND, Director of Education at Charlotte’s Web.

Yet, research can be costly. Specifically, clinical trials, which are key to determining if a product is safe and effective for people to use. “Clinical trials are very expensive. So, it’s not like an individual manufacturer has the money to fund these types of studies. Studies conducted with the use of animals or in vitro are often conducted instead because they are less expensive and they can help to fine tune or design a great clinical study,” says Palmer.

Yet another obstacle to conducting research is the fact that not all brands have a vertical supply chain. Many are buying the extract from a third-party group or hemp plants from a broker. These companies can’t guarantee the consistency needed to run a clinical trial. Charlotte’s Web is aided in its research by the fact that it has a vertical supply chain and proprietary hemp genetics that are instrumental to clinical studies to ensure that there is consistency from batch to batch.

“The benefit of Charlotte’s Web is that we have five hemp patents and have consistent extracts and genetics that we use so that we can get consistent results. When you have variability from batch to batch, you have different results and compounds. We are unique in that we can provide that kind of consistency,” says Palmer.

The foundation

Of course, the company’s focus on science starts with its own Charlotte’s Web Labs (CW Labs), the research and development division of Charlotte's Web, designed to help advance science around hemp-derived phytocannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoid compounds. CW Labs is headquartered at the Hauptmann Woodward Research Institute on the campus of the University at Buffalo's Jacobs School of Medicine and The Center for Integrated Global Biomedical Sciences and is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) network of 64 national and international research and medical institutions. 

The company also has invested in and supported the work of Realm of Caring (ROC). In particular, it has supported ROC’s Observational Research Registry (ORR), whose purpose is to better understand the efficacy of cannabinoid therapy on health conditions and associated symptoms by collecting real-world data. Over the course of a four-year-period (2016-2020) ROC worked in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine to conduct a large observational cohort study, collecting real-world information on multiple aspects of how people are using cannabinoid therapy from various manufacturers. 

“Charlotte’s Web has invested heavily in supporting research and researching how hemp works from seed to shelf, toxicology to pharmacology, this includes doing ongoing clinical research. We have been investing quietly for many years, but now it’s time to start talking about it. This is what the industry needs to create quality products. We are dedicated to continuing and supporting third-party research,” says Palmer. And these days, Charlotte’s Web has a lot to talk about on this front.

Radicle Science

Recently, Charlotte’s Web partnered with Radicle Science, an independent research organization, to take part in a randomized, controlled, clinical study, which evaluated the benefits of hemp-derived CBD extracts. “Radicle Science helped put together this study with multiple manufacturers and close to 1000 participants. These were people who hadn’t used CBD previously, so it was a new experience. The researchers wanted to evaluate what people are using hemp-derived CBD products for and the benefits they are getting,” explains Palmer.

For the study, a percentage of study participants from across the U.S. used Charlotte’s Web Original Formula for four weeks, and were assessed for key outcomes, including general well-being, quality of life, sleep quality, overall stress and discomfort. The researchers used standardized scientific methods for measuring each outcome and tracked their progress multiple times throughout the study. The study found that people taking this formula daily experienced significant improvements in well-being, improved mood and stress management, sleep and physical discomfort as compared to both the control group who did not take the product and the baseline (before they started taking the product). Study results showed that feelings of stress decreased for 64% of the participants taking the product, as opposed to no improvement in the control group and 60% of participants struggling with sleep issues experienced clinically meaningful improvements in sleep quality.

In addition to helping to further validate that CBD can be safe to take, another interesting finding Palmer notes is that the product works relatively fast. “Another benefit of the study was understanding how quickly it worked for people. This study showed that people were feeling improvement within the first week of taking it and the product actually kicks in within a few hours for many people.”

Supporting Safety

In yet another study, Charlotte’s Web and 11 other companies supported a study managed by Validcare, to provide scientific data on liver toxicity to federal and state regulators including U.S. Congress and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In the Validcare study, researchers reported that among the 839 participants, using CBD in typical doses, zero liver toxicity or disease was detected. A second phase of this study is ongoing at this time. 

Although the FDA has not approved hemp-derived CBD for sale as a dietary supplement, Palmer says, “The Validcare studies have been really important to help answer the FDA’s questions about if CBD is safe. It has provided real life evidence.” She adds, “We will continue to go above and beyond to provide the evidence needed to support these products.” 

In partnership with Institutions

Looking forward, the brand recently announced a long-term scientific collaboration between McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate and Charlotte’s Web. In particular, Charlotte’s Web will fund and take part in two distinct clinical trials overseen by lead researcher, Dr. Staci A. Gruber, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of the MIND program at McLean Hospital in Belmont, MA. The Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) program was established in 2014 by Dr. Gruber and is designed to clarify the specific effects of medical cannabis use and to support a wide range of study designs that generate ecologically valid, empirically sound data to close the gap between policy and science. 

The Charlotte’s Web studies will investigate the efficacy of a custom-formulated, hemp-derived high-potency CBD product, with clinical trial results expected to be published in 2022. Dr. Gruber is also conducting a longitudinal observational study of Veterans who use a Charlotte’s Web product.

With an estimated 20 million consumers already using hemp-derived CBD products, Palmer emphasizes that the research results they are seeing are consistent with the real-life conditions for which consumers are using it.  And, since consumers are already using it and finding documented results, she adds, “Hopefully, all of this information will help to encourage the FDA to want to regulate hemp-derived CBD as a dietary supplement and ensure consumers that they can use it safely and, that it could actually help them.”

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