By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Businesses that sell CBD, a substance derived from the hemp plant, have been popping up all over Hays.

The products have been touted to help everything from anxiety and backaches to seizures and Parkinson’s disease.

Despite a growing list of uses for CBD products and people ready to offer testimonials to the benefits, some health professionals are skeptical of the substance as a miracle cure and warn of side effects.

CBD oil is considered a dietary supplement by the FDA. It is a substance that is present in hemp and its cousin marijuana. But CBD oil that is sold in Kansas is not supposed to contain THC, the substance that gets you high.

Local retailers are selling the product as an oil, in salves, lotions, bath products, as a vape juice, in candy, and even formulas for pets.

Pure CBD oil has only been approved by the FDA for one rare seizure disorder in children. Some research in animals has indicated CBD as a treatment for anxiety, pain and inflammation, but those studies have not been replicated in humans.

Some research has indicated CBD may interact with prescription medications, including blood thinners, SSRI antidepressants and prescription anti-seizure medications.

Dr. Eric Voth, MD, an internal medicine physician and pain management and addiction specialist, is an international expert on the marijuana and drug policy. He is the vice-president of primary care at Stormont Vail Hospital in Topeka.

“There is not good evidence except for one disorder that CBD works, and there is also not clearly defined what kind of doses or concentration that is the most effective,” he said.

Voth said sometime in the future, research might show CBD is effective in treating other ailments, but at this point more rigorous medical research needs to be done.

“Most uses of CBD are by rumor and reputation and sort of this hysteria behind it as a marijuana by-product. It is present in hemp and marijuana,” he said. “And it may work, but it really has not been submitted to the scientific rigor that medication needs to be submitted to.”

Jessica Moffitt, a Hays health educator, opened a new CBD franchise in Hays on Friday. Her store is one of many locations in Hays where CBD products can be purchased. Despite naysayers, Moffitt insists CBD is safe and effective.

Moffitt uses CBD oil to treat anxiety and night terrors. She said since she switched to the American Shaman CBD oil, her night terrors have decreased from about six per week to one per week. The American Shaman CBD oil is water-soluble so she drinks in her two daily doses with her coffee in the morning and with other supplements at night.

She said she does not have any side effects from taking the CBD.

Other purported uses for CBD include Alzheimer’s, dementia, nausea Parkinson’s, ADHD, autism, cramps, to address problems with sleep, depression, OCD, diabetes, eczema, psoriasis, fibromyalgia, migraine, and some have even taken the substance while being treated for cancer.

Moffitt said she did not see CBD as a cure for cancer, but it may help the body deal with some of the stresses on the body from the disease and treatment.

Barb Pitcock’s mother-in-law took CBD oil when she was being treated for cancer. Neither woman could confirm what role CBD played in her recovery, but she is still taking the product today a year and half after her doctor gave her only weeks to live. Pitcock, a CBD wholesaler and retailer, said her mother-in-law took CBD oil after chemo treatments and it helped her significantly with her nausea.

Pitcock bottles the oil as well as other essential oils for retailers across the region. She opened a temporary store in Big Creek Crossing during the holiday season under the name Simple Pure Aromatherapy. Pitcock is not a medical professional, but takes CBD oil daily herself to help her sleep.

Pitcock had been selling essential oils for 10 years and was skeptical of the CBD oil. Her nephew has ADHD and was struggling in school. Her sister started giving him CBD oil and it helped, she said.

After that, Pitcock decided to try a cream containing CBD oil to address back pain she had from a prior car accident.

“When I put the cream on, I thought at first I was imagining things because within five or 10 minutes, the pain would go away,” she said.

The store’s manager starting taking CBD for migraines and hasn’t had a migraine in three months. She believed so strongly in the product, she offered to help Pitcock get the retail store off the ground.

Amy Jensen, co-owner of Professor’s, also sells a line of CBD products through Kannaway. Jensen and her husband, Mike, both take CBD oil daily. Amy said she takes the drops for overall health and she feels it helps improve her mental clarity. She first tried CBD topically to ease the pain of a shoulder injury. She said she was amazed at how quickly the salve eased her pain.

One of her employees at Professor’s, Rachel Cox, consumes CBD products to deal with social anxiety as well as migraines. When she is feeling anxious, Cox vapes CBD oil or uses a CBD chew.

“It still had the anxiety but things seemed easier to do. It seemed more like I was going to survive this,” Cox said. “The more I took it and the more it built up in me, it was just like a well-oiled machine. There were days I was not waking up with the anxiety. I was excited to meet people today and do things.

“It was at a bad time before where I couldn’t get out of bed and greet the day. With the CBD it just seemed more doable, more normal.”

Cox said she was having about one migraine a month, and she hasn’t had any since she started the CBD about a year ago.

Cox and Jensen claim to have no side effects from taking the CBD products. They both said they feel good about CBD because it is a natural substance derived from a plant.

Moffitt said she hopes the FDA and medical research will soon catch up to what she and others know about the CBD from using the products.

“I think that hemp is a plant just like vitamins and supplements, just like someone is OK with taking black cohosh or someone is OK with taking magnesium,” she said.

“I think when people realize that there is scientific processes to remove the THC to where people don’t have the psychoactive properties, when people begin to understand that and that misconception goes away …  When people realize there is absolutely zero risk behind taking our product, I think it is going to be used a lot more.”

Moffitt said she does not see CBD as a cure-all as some tout it to be. She thinks it will be linked most strongly to stress, depression, inflammation, anxiety, pain, migraines and sleep.

“I don’t believe CBD is cure-all or CBD is a miracle drug,” Moffitt said. “I think there are things yo have to do in your lifestyle as well. I think we can all benefit from it for the reason that we all carry tension. We all have inflammation, and we all have some sort of stress and most of us have sleep issues.”

A barrier to further CBD research has been the federal ban on marijuana and its classification in the same category as street drugs like heroin. Attitudes and laws concerning CBD and hemp are starting to change, which may open more opportunities for study.

Thirty states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical uses and four states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Marijuana and products containing THC are prohibited in Kansas. Federal law prohibits sale of any product containing more than 0.3 percent THC.

All three of the CBD retailers the Hays Post spoke with said their products are made from hemp. They said because their products don’t contain THC or contain very small amounts, they should not result in a positive drug tests or result in addiction.

Because CBD is unregulated, Voth said consumers should remain cautious. They may not know what they are getting.

Since CBD is not regulated by the FDA, there is no guarantee the product that you are buying is THC free, Voth said. He said there is a concern there could be harmful substances or infectious agents in the products.

Parent whose children had seizure disorders flocked to Colorado to purchase CBD oil to treat their children once it became available there. Some parents unwittingly purchased what they thought was pure CBD oil, but it actually had THC in it.

The THC in the oil made the children’s seizures worse, Voth said.

Moffitt and her husband visited the lab in Kansas City, Missouri, where the product she will sell is made. She said she felt confident the product she is selling has no THC. The lab tests with a third party to ensure quality control and uses only organic substances in their products.

Jensen said the products she sells are also lab tested, and Pitcock said her CBD products are certified by the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy as 100 percent pure and organic with no THC.

Voth said scientists who are studying CBD argue it could be snake oil or the next great cure, but without more research, no one knows.

“I would caution people not to waste money on it until we know more about it,” he said. “It may be wonderful, but even then you are going to want purified forms and a standardized dose and clearly understand what the indications are for it.”

Voth said he wanted to remind consumers there is a billion dollar industry that is pushing the CBD and THC markets. He compared it to tobacco lobby. CBD products are not cheap. Drops can cost $39 for a 30-day supply up to $70 per bottle, and creams can run as high as $150 per container.

“Beware of snake oil because it is not necessarily going to work and it may cost a lot and have minimal effect and even negative effect,” Voth said.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

As the United Way of Ellis County reaches the anticipated closing of its annual campaign, the agency is significantly below its fundraising goal.

“I will be blunt, we are desperate for help,” Sherry Dryden, UWEC executive director, said.

She called the agency’s situation dire and said agencies that are funded by United Way will likely have to cut service or the number of people served if the campaign ends significantly short of goal.

As of the end of the week, Dryden anticipated the agency will be only 40 percent to its $400,000 fundraising goal.

The United Way, which usually ends its annual campaign Dec. 31, has already decided to extend the campaign into January, but Dryden said she is still concerned the agency will have to make large cuts in funding to its agencies.

“It’s going to hurt,” Dryden said. “It means that we have to cut the support to the agencies by half.”

The United Way raises funding for many smaller non-profit community organizations that do not have the staffs or the resources to do fundraising on their own. Dryden said if these local agencies have to spend more time fundraising, that takes away time from those organizations providing services. Because of their size, some agencies will have no other way to address funding deficits other than to cut services.

“I don’t want to see anybody lose their jobs,” Dryden said. “We don’t want to see anyone lose services. We have averaged these last three years approximately 8,000 people being helped and even more in services. When you are looking at those kinds of numbers and you only make half of your campaign, you are looking at 4,000 people needing help and can’t get it. So who else is going to provide those services?”

Last year, United Way supported local programs at 15 partner agencies.

These included the American Red Cross, Big Brother Big Sisters, Cancer Council of Ellis County, Catholic Charities, Center for Life Experiences, Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation, Court Appointed Special Advocates, Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas, Early Childhood Connections, First Call for Help, Hays Area Children’s Center, Options, Parents and Children Together, Salvation Army and Western Kansas Association on the Concerns for the Disabled.

Each agency has to meet guidelines and standards to receive funds.

At least two of the agencies the Hays Post spoke to said they would consider cutting staff hours or a staff position if they saw a significant decrease in United Way funding.

Less money for Big Brothers Big Sisters would mean less staff and fewer children served, said Jenny Bates, executive director.

Big Brothers Big Sisters will provide mentors for about 200 children this year. Every match costs about $1,000 per year to support. This includes cost for background checks, reference checks as well as volunteer training.

Big Brothers Big Sisters received just more than $35,000 from UWEC in 2018. That equals about 35 matches.

“We serve children who are facing adversity whether that is something that is going on at home, struggles they are having at school or social things that are going on for them,” Bates said.

“What Big Brothers Big Sisters does is provide that consistent person in their life who is there for them and to support them and encourage them and help them be more confident,” she said.

“Our vision is that all kids achieve success in life. We want these kids to overcome the barriers they are facing. The Bigs help them go beyond that and become some of the first in their families to attend college or hold down full-time jobs after they graduate high school. It is making them productive citizens in society.”

First Call for Help was one of the biggest benefactors of UWEC funds in 2018, receiving a grant of $42,598.

Linda Mills, First Call for Help director, said she too was concerned about maintaining staffing if their agency’s funding was cut. Mills said the agency would do everything it could to replace funds by applying for grants or having another fundraiser. However, that is difficult, because the agency has only four staff members.

First Call uses the United Way funding to support the Backpacks for Kids program, its information and referral program and Meals on Wheels.

Mills said the agency would likely have to reduce the number of people served under the Backpacks for Kids and Meals on Wheels programs if its funding was cut. Backpacks for Kids provided school supplies for 657 children this fall. Thirty people in the community receive Meals on Wheels through First Call.

“I think I would like to stress that the United of Way is an important piece of the many agencies that we have in our community,” Mills said. “If we see that not being fully funded, it means all of the services are going to suffer somewhat. I want to stress how important they are in the community.”

CASA only has one full-time staff person. The $19,650 the agency receives from UWEC supports its work to advocate for children in the court system.

“Without United Way funding, it would be very challenging for us to provide advocates for the children currently going through the court system due to abuse and neglect in the 23rd Judicial District,” Lyndsey Crisenbery, CASA executive director, said.

“United Way funding helps our agency maintain quality staff that recruit, train and supervise advocates. Our advocates help ensure abuse and neglected children are receiving the services they need by getting to know them, their families and the other professionals who have worked with the child. The CASA advocates then advocate for the best interest of the child in court.”

Early Childhood Connections received funding in 2018 from United Way for a pilot program for summer preschool for children who were getting ready to enter Kindergarten.

Donna Hudson-Hamilton, ECC director, said she thought those children who participated greatly benefited from the targeted help. However, the program was solely funded with United Way money. The ECC is planning to apply for the grant again in 2019, but if it does not receive the funds, the program will go away.

Parents and Children Together, which serves 80 families in Ellis County, also is 100 percent funded by the United Way. PACT offers Ten Steps to Positive Parenting, a parenting class that seeks to reduce instances of child abuse in the community.

Options uses its $15,000 annual allocation to support its shelter program. Abuse survivors receive assistance with food, clothing, medical needs and transportation. The shelter will serve about 100 men, women and children this year.

Reductions in United Way funding could mean reductions in staffing and the ability to offer services, Jennifer Hecker, Options director, said. The shelter allows abuse victims to leave abusers, but remain in Hays where they may have jobs and other support systems, she said.

“No one should ever be put in a position to have to choose between financial security and safety,” Hecker said. “They are one in the same for many people. Financial security means freedom for many people. If you have to leave the community where your job is, you are not going to have the same kind of freedom you need to move on with your life.”

Some lead businesses are still trying to wrap up their employee pledges, Dryden said. Most of those businesses are coming in the same as last year or are a little down.

“The United Way humbly appreciates our business partners who do internal campaigns, which collectively accounts for almost half of our campaign. We are currently working with one of our partners who is transitioning to a new giving model, and we anxiously look forward to the outcomes next year,” Dryden said.

However, she said other factors have played into the shortfall in the campaign.

Although she did not want to name the agencies, Dryden noted several other community groups have been working on major fundraising campaigns at the same time as the United Way campaign.

“It is so exciting to see how excited our communities are with fundraising, and people tend to give better toward the end of the year, but we may need to look at leaving that traditional fundraising season and look at different times throughout the year instead,” Dryden said.

Changes in the tax laws also likely had an effect on giving this year, Dryden said. Some employers have also said they have had longtime employees and contributors retire. If you have made payroll deductions in the past, UWEC can set up checking account automatic withdrawals to maintain you giving.

“We have so many more opportunities to give than we had in the past,” Dryden said.

Also periodically, the United Way has dealt with concerns about administrative expenses, which are 16 to 20 percent. The local United Way is trying to develop an endowment that would fund the local agency’s administrative expenses, so 100 percent of the money raised each year could go to partner agencies.

“What I am finding as we do the Dine Out Days, as we have more one-on-ones with the public is there is also a hesitancy to give because people don’t really know us,” Dryden said. “Even though we are trying to educate people about what we do and how we do it, there is still hesitancy.”

An estimate of the United Way CEO’s income has circulated on social media, but Dryden said this social media estimate is not accurate. The United Way CEO makes a fraction of what a for-profit CEO in America would make, and the current CEO donates a portion of his salary back to the organization.

The CARE Council, a board of volunteers, will start reviewing funding levels for allocation in January. The decision on how the money United Way raised in the campaign is spent is up to them. The United Ways is still looking for a couple of members for that group.

Eagle Radio is planning a fundraiser for the United Way on Dec. 27. Look for more details to be announced soon.

If you wish to donate to United Way, you can do so online, call United Way at 785-628-8281, send checks to P.O. Box 367, Hays, KS 67601 or make a donation or pledge in person at the United Way office at the Hadley Center, 205 E. Seventh St., Suite 111, Hays.

Note: Eagle Radio is owned by Eagle Communications, which also owns and operated the Hays Post. Cristina Janney is a member of the CASA board, which receives funds from United Way.