CBD’s effects on ethanol reinforcement, motivation, and relapse in mice were shown in a recent study. Ethanol use, SA, CPP, and ethanol-induced relapse were all reduced upon CBD administration (Viudez-Martínez et al., 2018). In another study, rats were trained to self-administer alcohol at 24h intervals for seven days and then treated with CBD. CBD diminished the stress-induced drug-seeking behavior and alcohol’s sedative effects and inhibited the motivation for alcohol SA.
Regulated Product(s)
In addition, early research suggests CBD may hold some hope for treating alcohol use disorder. Published case reports and uncontrolled clinical trials suggest the potential of using CBD products for better sleep. In one unblinded study of 23 patients with epilepsy, 85% of those treated daily for three months with CBD showed an improvement in sleep. However, the handful of RCTs to date studying sleep for people without epilepsy are inconclusive.
Included animal studies
Most drug screening tests look for a compound created by the body when it metabolizes THC. To increase the likelihood that a product doesn’t have more THC than claimed, some people look for a manufacturer that can provide a Certificate of Analysis, or COA, for its product. This shows the results of a company’s testing for THC, CBD and various contaminants.
Is CBD Non-Addictive and Safe for Managing Everyday Aches and Pains?
The primary psychoactive component in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and another well-known component of this drug is cannabidiol (CBD). Morgan et al studied the impact of CBD on nicotine addiction by conducting a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is cannabidiol addictive on 24 smokers who wished to stop smoking.33 Two groups received either a CBD inhaler (400 μg/inhalation) or a placebo inhaler. They were told to use the inhaler whenever they felt the urge to smoke, to assess daily cigarette and inhaler use, and to monitor their craving once daily for 1 week. The results showed a significant reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked (≈40%) in the CBD inhaler group during the week of treatment, with a trend indicating a reduction after follow-up.
Another cause for concern is the unreliability of the purity and dosage of CBD in products. A recent study of 84 CBD products bought online showed that more than a quarter of the products contained less CBD than labeled. Sign up to get tips for living a healthy lifestyle, with ways to fight inflammation and improve cognitive health, plus the latest advances in preventative medicine, diet and exercise, pain relief, blood pressure and cholesterol management, and more. Our Consumer Update includes a practical summary of what we know to date. As we learn more, our goal is to update you with the information you need to make informed choices about CBD products. Also, as the regulatory pathways are clarified we will take care to inform all stakeholders as quickly as possible.
- Purchasing products from reputable manufacturers and retailers may help ensure that you are getting the type of product you want.
- For the past several decades, cannabis farmers have been cultivating marijuana to be higher and higher in THC content, which resulted in pushing aside the amounts of CBD in the flower.
- “I so appreciate the opportunity to have conversations with patients because CBD can interact with other medications they’re taking,” says Smita Das, MD, PhD, chair of the Council on Addiction Psychiatry at the American Psychiatric Association.
- Researchers are studying many possible benefits of CBD, including for pain relief, sleep, anxiety, epilepsy, and cancer.
- It has been widely reported that WHO officially recommended on December 14, 2017 that cannabis compound cannabidiol (CBD) not be internationally scheduled as a controlled substance.
As we continue to unravel CBD’s effects, these findings highlight its potential as a safer option for those seeking relief without the risks of traditional addictive substances. However, it is important to note that CBD is still a relatively new substance and more research is needed to fully understand its safety and potential side effects. If you are considering taking CBD, it is important to talk to your healthcare provider.
What are proven health benefits?
- It has been proposed that CBD could act as a partial agonist of D2 receptors (Seeman, 2016) and normalize D3 receptor gene expression in several brain regions (PFC, HIPP, and NAcc) (Stark et al., 2020).
- Any product, regardless of dependency-creating qualities, can be used in a process addiction relationship, but CBD appears to have no effects in encouraging addiction.
- While CBD oil is considered safe, some people can experience adverse effects.
However, CBD products containing more than 0.3% THC still fall under the legal definition of marijuana, making them federally illegal but legal under some state laws. THC is the chemical in marijuana responsible for its psychoactive effects, meaning it can alter perception and mood. It binds to receptors in the brain that control pleasure, memory, thinking, concentration, sensory and time perception, coordination, and movement. Marijuana, also known as cannabis, is a psychoactive drug derived from the cannabis plant.
Importantly, these effects were abolished by the blockade of CB2R, 5HT1a and TRPV1 suggesting their functional implication. Furthermore, in vivo microdialysis revealed a CBD-mediated reduction of cocaine-induced increases in extracellular dopamine in the NAcc (Galaj et al., 2020). CBD has also exhibited therapeutic potential for treating alcohol use disorder.
How Does CBD Work and What Is It Used For?
Studies have shown that CBD can help manage anxiety and depression, reduce inflammation, and even help with addiction to other substances. Cannabis plants include both hemp and marijuana—their distinction lies in their THC levels, which is the cannabinoid primary responsible for the psychoactive effects. Many people are turning to hemp over medical marijuana due to its legal accessibility and its ability to support a wide range of health benefits without leading to intoxication. This particular study suggests individuals with drug addiction may benefit from EPIDIOLEX, the FDA-approved CBD addiction medicine. Still, more extensive studies are needed to confirm this as clinical evidence.