GLP podcast: CBD’s placebo effect; The right-wing raw milk conspiracy? Tattoos boost cancer risk? Unlikely

Does CBD treat pain, or is the marketing hype around this supplement just driven by the placebo effect? It appears that some conservatives are drinking raw milk to signal their resistance to the great food transformation promoted by the World Economic Forum and others. How did this fad begin? A recent study suggests that tattoo ink might be linked to cancer.

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Join hosts Dr. Liza Dunn and GLP contributor Cameron English on episode 274 of Science Facts and Fallacies as they break down these latest news stories:

• Viewpoint: CBD is the ‘latest fad in the ever-expanding universe of pseudo-medicine’

Many people swear by CBD as a viable pain treatment. A non-psychoactive ingredient derived from marijuana, the drug can be found in a wide variety of products ranging from gummies to skin creams and oils. The marketing machine behind the chemical promises it will treat seemingly every ailment you might suffer, but the research tells a different story. Let’s compare the marketing claims to 16 recent clinical trials investigating the effects of CBD use.

• Right-wing influencers attempt to convince followers that drinking potentially virus-carrying raw milk provides ‘benefits’

Raw milk has always had a cult following of alternative health advocates who say unpasteurized dairy confers health benefits you can’t get from store-bought milk. In recent years, though, the media has attacked raw milk as a right-wing symbol of rebellion that conservatives use to help “maintain and promote the status quo of white supremacy,” as Rolling Stone put it recently. Separating science from politics, what can we learn about the uptick in raw milk consumption?

• Tattoo health risks? New study links inking to lymphoma, a type of cancer

People who get tattoos appear to have a 21 percent increased risk of developing lymphoma, fueling speculation that some chemical (or chemicals) in tattoo ink could contribute to cancer. That’s according to a recent study, but the situation appears to be slightly more complicated. Do tattoos boost cancer risk, or do people who get tattoos engage in other behaviors that are linked to cancer?

Dr. Liza Dunn is a medical toxicologist and the medical affairs lead at Bayer Crop Science. Follow her on X @DrLizaMD

Cameron J. English is the director of bio-sciences at the American Council on Science and Health. Visit his website and follow him on X @camjenglish