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A new scientific review says there’s “accumulating” evidence that the marijuana component CBD “has antidepressant properties in humans and animals with few side effects” and may also aid in the reduction of inflammation and formation of new brain cells.
“In summary,” says the manuscript, newly accepted by the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, “there is growing evidence that CBD may be a promising candidate for the treatment of depression.”
The review notes that while the anti-depressant effects of the cannabinoid have been previously reported, the mechanisms of action behind those effects are still poorly understood. “Therefore, this paper reviews the molecular targets, pharmacokinetics, and safety of CBD,” it says.
Authors from the departments of pharmacology at Nantong University, the First People’s Hospital of Yancheng and the Jiangyin Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine—all in Jiangsu, China—looked at recently published papers on experimental and clinical studies around CBD, concluding that effects seem to be linked to the cannabinoid’s role in reducing inflammation and enhancing neurogenesis.
As for the cannabinoids’ targets in the human body, authors wrote that “receptor mechanisms underlying CBD’s effects are very complex and involve in multiple receptors including CB1, CB2, GPR55, 5-HT1A, and PPARγ receptors.”
“There is growing evidence that CBD may be a promising candidate for the treatment of depression.”
The review calls for further study around side-effects and possible dangers of cannabidiol use, especially long term, but it acknowledges that “several high quality systematic reviews and meta-analyses of CBD safety have been conducted recently and generally conclude that CBD has a remarkably safe profile.”
“Minor side effects are reported,” it says. “For example, after excluding trials in childhood epilepsy, the only adverse outcome associated with CBD treatment was diarrhoea.”
The report nevertheless notes that the therapeutic use of CBD is still limited by some of the medicine’s characteristics, pointing to issues such as the cannabinoid’s “high hydrophobicity and very low water solubility.”
“CBD has also shown exceptionally low oral-gastrointestinal (oral-GI) bioavailability,” the report adds. “Furthermore, single acute doses of CBD cause an inverted U-shaped dose-response pattern in human subjects subjected to an experimental model of anxiety, making the therapeutic window of CBD narrow.”
Given both the cannabinoid’s potential and ongoing uncertainty around proper dosing and administration, authors called for further preclinical studies and future clinical trials.
Authors said the research into CBD for depression is especially important because typical pharmaceutical interventions aren’t always effective for everyone.
“Psychological therapies are effective in treating most patients with mild to moderate depression,” they wrote, “while only a small proportion of patients with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD) are referred to mental health services and require pharmacotherapy.”
Of those who do require pharmaceuticals, the researchers continued, “it is estimated that 10-30% of patients are refractory to standard interventions, even after treatment with multiple medications.”
Meanwhile ketamine, which the team described as “an emerging treatment option due to its rapid onset and robust antidepressant effects,” carries the risk of “several adverse effects, including psychiatric, psychotomimetic, cardiovascular, neurological, and other side effects.”
Other therapies, including electroconvulsive therapy, “may cause cognitive impairment, delirium, musculoskeletal pain/injury, and anaesthesia-related complications, which limits its use,” they added. “Therefore, the development of novel and effective treatments for depression is very urgent and important.”
Cannabis has been used therapeutically for “many centuries to treat a wide variety of ailments including appetite, anxiety, depression, sleep and migraine,” the new review says, and the growing focus on CBD comes as “natural products and their biological activities with minimal or no side effects have gained widespread attention as therapeutic alternatives.”
Separate, industry-backed research into the potential anti-anxiety effects of cannabidiol found in a report earlier this year that an oral CBD solution effectively treated mild to moderate anxiety, as well as associated depression and poor sleep quality, with no serious adverse events observed.
In other research, participants who used a CBD vaginal suppository generally reported less period pain, better mood and lower use of pain medications compared to subjects who underwent conventional treatment.
As for cannabis more broadly, a recent study into medical marijuana for chronic pain and mental health found that participants overwhelmingly reported that cannabis reduced the severity of their depression, anxiety and sleep issues to at least some degree.
Researched published last year by the American Medical Association, meanwhile, found that the use of medical marijuana was associated with “significant improvements” in quality of life for people with chronic conditions like pain and insomnia—and those effects were “largely sustained” over time.
Yet another study found that dogs receiving daily doses of CBD saw “significant reductions” in stress and anxiety related to car travel. All 20 dogs involved in that study, published in the Journal of Animal Science, exhibited signs of stress and anxiety when riding in a car, but canines treated with CBD two hours before taking the trip showed meaningful improvements over a 24-week review period.
This month, another study into CBD for dogs found that a dose of the cannabinoid appeared to help counteract the ill effects of accidental THC consumption, though authors said further research is needed to determine whether the effects were simply the result of time.
CBD Reduces Cravings For Alcohol Among People With Drinking Problems, New Study Shows
Photo courtesy of Kimzy Nanney.
CBD Reduces Cravings For Alcohol Among People With Drinking Problems, New Study Shows
Ben Adlin, a senior editor at Marijuana Moment, has been covering cannabis and other drug policy issues professionally since 2011. He was previously a senior news editor at Leafly, an associate editor at the Los Angeles Daily Journal and a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs. He lives in Washington State.
Analysts See ‘Sudden Spike’ In Use Of Marijuana As An Alcohol Alternative
2024 was a big year for cannabis (Newsletter: December 27, 2024)
Kentucky Residents Who Participate In State’s New Medical Marijuana Program Will Be Ineligible To Own Guns, Feds Warn
Retiring Congressman Says Feds Are ‘Trapped In Time’ On Marijuana
Tennessee Officials Will Pay $735,000 To Settle Lawsuit Over Seizure Of Legal Hemp Products
These Were The Biggest Federal And Congressional Marijuana Policy Developments Of 2024
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CBD Is A 'Promising Candidate' For Treating Depression With 'Few Side Effects,' New Scientific Review Concludes – Marijuana Moment
