Human laboratory studies of CBD were generally well-tolerated and showed no psychoactive or intoxicating side effects, while placebo-controlled trials demonstrated it reduced seizures among patients suffering from Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes.
Linares et al. 38 conducted three double-blind, placebo-controlled trials assessing CBD’s effects against social anxiety disorder (SAD). Their results found that 300 mg oral CBD significantly reduced anxiety during simulated public speaking tests while maintaining steady systolic blood pressure levels.
Anxiety
Existing preclinical and human experimental and clinical data support CBD’s potential as a treatment for anxiety disorders such as GAD, SAD, OCD, and PTSD. Acute administration has demonstrated anxiolytic, anti-anxiety and anti-panic effects; however, most studies only investigated acute dosing; few have researched chronic dosing methods.
Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that CBD reduces activation of social anxiety-relevant brain regions during anxiogenic experimental public speaking paradigms. CBD specifically reduced ACC-amygdala functional connectivity in prelimbic cortex and central nucleus of amygdala during response inhibition tasks; additionally in an emotional processing task where participants viewed fearful faces, systemic CBD significantly decreased anxiety symptoms while inhibiting responses in both ACC and hippocampus regions.
CBD has also been shown to effectively counter the long-term anxiety inflicting effects of stress in an animal model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), by inhibiting upregulation of glucocorticoid receptors in the amygdala and decreasing fear expression induced by chronic exposure to stress. These actions may partially be mediated by 5-HT1AR activation as well as hippocampal neurogenesis.
Pain
CBD interacts with CB1 and CB2 receptors in the central nervous system to alter pain signaling pathways, as well as stimulating adenoceptor, 5-HT1A/2A/3A serotonergic and TRPV1-2 vanilloid receptors, while simultaneously inhibiting activity of inhibitory Glycine Amide Hydrolase (FAAH).
Cannabis can provide relief for inflammation or neuropathy pain and reduce chronic conditions like arthritis and multiple sclerosis by providing anti-inflammatory benefits. You can take an oral supplement or topical cream/ointment application directly onto the skin; or inhale vape juice directly.
However, many over-the-counter (OTC) products do not contain the amount of CBD advertised and may lead to side effects, including alertness changes; drowsiness; insomnia; diarrhea or upset stomach; changes in blood pressure and changes in heartbeat rate. CBD may interact with certain medications (blood thinners and antiepileptics metabolized via liver enzymes (cytochrome P450)) so it’s essential to notify your physician if taking additional medicines so they can track levels of cannabinoids such as CBD in your body.
Epilepsy
CBD can be an effective treatment for refractory epilepsy, which causes uncontrollable seizures. Studies have demonstrated its efficacy as either as effective or more so than pharmaceutical medications in treating this condition. CBD may be taken alone or combined with others such as clobazam to boost anti-seizure medication’s efficacy and decrease seizures.
CBD has been found to prevent seizures by blocking the “positive feedback loop”, and by protecting GABA, an essential neurotransmitter. As such, it may help treat numerous seizure disorders including Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
Texas A&M University professor-led research team making groundbreaking advances in CBD efficacy research for epilepsy and other conditions is making ground-breaking strides forward, paving the way for promising therapies that could offer hope to people suffering from these conditions and reduce economic burden such as out-of-pocket costs and productivity losses.
Addictions
Addiction is a complex problem, and traditional treatments often struggle to address the underlying psychiatric conditions that contribute to cravings and withdrawal symptoms. CBD oil has proven an effective alternative treatment option in fighting addictions: it reduces anxiety and depression levels during withdrawal while simultaneously decreasing cravings for opioids and other drugs; furthermore it may even prevent relapse by inhibiting brain reward pathways reactivation.
CBD boasts a multimodal pharmacological profile that regulates the reinforcing and motivational properties of alcohol, morphine, heroin, cannabinoids, cocaine, nicotine and psychostimulants. Furthermore, it acts as an antagonist at serotonin 1A receptors (SSRI) and transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) receptors to create a multifaceted therapeutic profile.
According to a current survey, participants used CBD products for various reasons including anxiety relief, pain management, sleep improvement and mood management. Furthermore, respondents were open to having CBD prescribed by their physician in order to treat or manage drug addiction.
