Therapeutic CBD has been shown to be useful in treating various psychiatric conditions. It has anxiolytic properties for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms; one study demonstrated this ability by showing it reduced anxiety associated with public speaking simulation. Furthermore, two open-label studies and case reports show it can reduce tics associated with Tourette syndrome symptoms.
One RCT revealed that CBD had antipsychotic effects and improved cognitive performance among those suffering from schizophrenia and psychosis in Parkinson’s disease, according to one RCT. Furthermore, clinical trials conducted on CBD demonstrated its ability to alleviate symptoms of depression while acting as an antidepressant agent.
Psychiatric Disorders
CBD has emerged as an anxiolytic and mood stabilizer. Animal studies have demonstrated its efficacy at relieving symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Furthermore, CBD can enhance antidepressant medications like sertraline by acting synergistically on CB1 receptors.
There is growing clinical evidence supporting the therapeutic use of CBD in psychosis and schizophrenia, showing its ability to alleviate anxiety and improve sleep for psychiatric patients. Furthermore, preclinical trials show pure CBD can effectively diminish drug seeking behavior related to substance abuse disorders like alcoholism, cannabisism and heroinism – in turn leading to decreased cravings among users in smaller trials.
Dronabinol and nabilone, two THC-derived cannabinoid drugs approved by the FDA to combat chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting as well as stimulate appetite in conditions like AIDS. Epidiolex was also granted FDA approval in 2018 to treat seizures associated with Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes.
Seizures
Seizures are abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can lead to loss of consciousness. Seizures may be caused by anything that disturbs normal brain function, including trauma, medical conditions or certain medications.
Absence seizures (commonly referred to as petit mal seizures) typically last only seconds and cause you to gaze into space, with children often having them during sleep.
Tonic seizures involve your muscles becoming stiff or tightened. They can cause falls while standing, leading to injuries as well. These forms of seizures are most prevalent among people living with Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes.
Epidiolex was approved by the FDA in 2017 as a treatment for certain rare seizure disorders, proving its safety and efficacy when combined with other antiseizure medicines in three randomized controlled trials that measured its effects. One such trial showed how CBD could decrease frequency of seizures among those suffering from tuberous sclerosis complex.
Insomnia
CBD interacts with cannabinoid receptors in the brain to increase levels of sleep-promoting adenosine while decreasing activity in areas that cause anxiety and arousal, creating feelings of calmness and drowsiness that could assist people in sleeping soundly.
Anecdotally, medicinal cannabis users report that cannabis use promotes sleep. Yet few studies have investigated insomnia symptoms using objective measures; currently registered trials assess changes in sleep disturbances associated with pain or multiple sclerosis but not insomnia per se.
This proof-of-concept study will evaluate medicinal cannabis’s ability to manage insomnia symptoms using anonymous archival data from Strainprint, an app which tracks consumption in naturalistic settings. Participants have the option of sharing medical history and product preferences for research purposes if desired, before this data is stripped of identifiers before being analysed to examine how different strains, forms and doses affect insomnia symptoms over time.
Pain
CBD has been proven to be effective at relieving chronic pain, including nerve discomfort associated with multiple sclerosis. Furthermore, it may reduce muscle spasms.
However, a meta-analysis revealed that medicinal cannabis (nabiximols or nabilone) wasn’t consistently superior to placebo in terms of decreasing pain intensity ratings, possibly due to low trial numbers with small sample sizes.
Medicinal cannabis may help manage some forms of neuropathic pain; however, more research needs to be conducted. CBD has also been demonstrated as an anxiolytic and may reduce symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A single 300 mg dose of oral CBD was shown to significantly decrease subjective and physiological changes associated with recalling traumatizing memories in one PTSD patient. [104]
