Does CBD oil have proven benefits as a treatment?
Studies that show CBD could benefit sufferers of the following conditions.
CBD oil as treatment for anxiety and depression.
Cannabidiol or CBD treatment presents an inverted U-shaped dose-response curve in a simulated public speaking test. According to a study published in the Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry. 2019 Jan-Feb;41(1)
The objective of the study was to determine if “Cannabidiol” or CBD which is one of the non-psychotomimetic compounds of Cannabis sativa causes anxiolytic-like effects in humans as it has shown in animal studies. This study also compared the effects of different doses of CBD and placebo. So how do you induce anxiety in a safe way? Easy, task the healthy volunteers to perform in a simulated public speaking event, because as we all know public speaking sends most people running for the hills…..while whimpering softly.
The 57 male participants were each allocated oral doses of CBD varying from 150mg, 300mg, 600mg, or a placebo, whilst subjectively rating their VAMS or visual analogue mood scale as well as blood pressure and heart rate. This is just a scientific way of saying. Did they look really really nervous and if so? How nervous did they seem?
Did it work? I hear you. asking.
Yes, it did. The study found that 300mg Cannabidiol or CBD significantly reduced anxiety during the public speaking event, compared to the placebo. The study also found that the lower doses of CBD had little to no effect on the volunteers. Most intriguingly though is the fact that the higher dose of 600mg CBD also did not have a corresponding increased effect.
In conclusion, it was determined that CBD did have a beneficial calming effect when the correct “milligrams” or strength was administered.
As a side note, I am sure that you are all aware of the fact that CBD oil, drops, edibles and almost all CBD products are available in different strengths hence the disparity in prices between 30ml bottles that look exactly the same. The CBD strength varies from 100mg to more than 1000mg so make sure you buy the one that is right for you. Start low and work your way up.
300mg is considered a low potency dose and is a good place to start when you decide to boost your health and lower stress levels.
CBD Oil Potency Chart
CBD Oil Potency And Effectiveness Comparison for General Health, Anxiety, Pain and Sleep
How much CBD is there in 1ml dose
1ml or 20 drops dosage from different CBD Oil potencies contains different CBD concentrations
Can CBD be used as treatment epilepsy?
CBD Approved by the FDA for treatment of two rare forms of epilepsy
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Epidiolex (cannabidiol) [CBD] oral solution for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and Dravet syndrome, in patients two years of age and older. This is the first FDA-approved drug that contains a purified drug substance derived from marijuana. It is also the first FDA approval of a drug for the treatment of patients with Dravet syndrome.
Epidiolex’s effectiveness was studied in three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials involving 516 patients with either Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome. Epidiolex, taken along with other medications, was shown to be effective in reducing the frequency of seizures when compared with placebo.
“The difficult-to-control seizures that patients with Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome experience have a profound impact on these patients’ quality of life,” said Billy Dunn, M.D., director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “In addition to another important treatment option for Lennox-Gastaut patients, this first-ever approval of a drug specifically for Dravet patients will provide a significant and needed improvement in the therapeutic approach to caring for people with this condition.”
“This approval serves as a reminder that advancing sound development programs that properly evaluate active ingredients contained in marijuana can lead to important medical therapies. And, the FDA is committed to this kind of careful scientific research and drug development,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. “Controlled clinical trials testing the safety and efficacy of a drug, along with careful review through the FDA’s drug approval process, is the most appropriate way to bring marijuana-derived treatments to patients. Because of the adequate and well-controlled clinical studies that supported this approval, prescribers can have confidence in the drug’s uniform strength and consistent delivery that support appropriate dosing needed for treating patients with these complex and serious epilepsy syndromes. We’ll continue to support rigorous scientific research on the potential medical uses of marijuana-derived products and work with product developers who are interested in bringing patients safe and effective, high-quality products. But, at the same time, we are prepared to take action when we see the illegal marketing of CBD-containing products with serious, unproven medical claims. Marketing unapproved products, with uncertain dosages and formulations, can keep patients from accessing appropriate, recognized therapies to treat serious and even fatal diseases.”
This is truly great news for the advancement of CBD as a recognized treatment for various ailments, but in my humble opinion more importantly for the accumulation of scientific data regarding the efficacy of CBD. Most early research data excluded humans from all trials and evidence of CBD efficacy was predominantly anecdotal. This ruling on CBD by the FDA, and such like it, lends vital authority to the growing number of existing believers.
PTSD treatment with CBD
PTSD versus PTS
PTSD was first named in the 1980s and classified as an anxiety disorder by the American Psychiatric Association. The most recent revision of the DSM-5 removes PTSD from the anxiety disorders category and places it in a new diagnostic category called “Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders,” since the symptoms of PTSD also include guilt, shame, and anger. The most significant diagnostic criteria require exposure to a traumatic or stressful event.
While PTSD remains the official diagnostic term for this condition, notable figures in mental health and champions for veterans mental health have consistently referred to PTSD as PTS in the news and across social media platforms. As the George W. Bush website states, “PTS is an injury, it’s not a disorder.” The goal behind the PTSD name change is to encourage veterans to feel more comfortable opening up about their experiences and seek help sooner.
Objectives: Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychotomimetic cannabinoid compound that is found in plants of the genus Cannabis. Preclinical research has suggested that CBD may have a beneficial effect in rodent models of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This effect is believed to be due to the action of CBD on the endocannabinoid system. CBD has seen a recent surge in research regarding its potential value in a number of neuropsychiatric conditions. This is the first study to date examining the clinical benefit of CBD for patients with PTSD.
Methods: This retrospective case series examines the effect of oral CBD administration on symptoms of PTSD in a series of 11 adult patients at an outpatient psychiatry clinic. CBD was given on an open-label, flexible dosing regimen to patients diagnosed with PTSD by a mental health professional. Patients also received routine psychiatric care, including concurrent treatment with psychiatric medications and psychotherapy. The length of the study was 8 weeks. PTSD symptom severity was assessed every 4 weeks by patient-completed PTSD Checklist for the DSM-5 (PCL-5) questionnaires.
Results: From the total sample of 11 patients, 91% (n = 10) experienced a decrease in PTSD symptom severity, as evidenced by a lower PCL-5 score at 8 weeks than at their initial baseline. The mean total PCL-5 score decreased 28%, from a mean baseline score of 51.82 down to 37.14, after eight consecutive weeks of treatment with CBD. CBD was generally well-tolerated, and no patients discontinued treatment due to side effects.
Conclusions: Administration of oral CBD in addition to routine psychiatric care was associated with PTSD symptom reduction in adults with PTSD. CBD also appeared to offer relief in a subset of patients who reported frequent nightmares as a symptom of their PTSD.
Read the full study -The Journal of Alternative and Complementary MedicineVol. 25, No. 4
CBD given to men and women with a history of heroin abuse.
Dr. Yasmin Hurd is the Ward-Coleman Chair of Translational Neuroscience and the Director of the Addiction Institute at Mount Sinai.
Dr. Hurd’s multidisciplinary research investigates the neurobiology underlying addiction disorders and related psychiatric illnesses. A translational approach is used to examine molecular and neurochemical events in the human brain and comparable animal models in order to ascertain neurobiological correlates of behavior. A major focus of the research is directed to risk factors of addiction disorders including genetics as well as developmental exposure to drugs of abuse such as cannabis. The group also conducts human clinical trials in developing novel therapies for opioid use disorder.
Objective: Despite the staggering consequences of the opioid epidemic, limited nonopioid medication options have been developed to treat this medical and public health crisis. This study investigated the potential of cannabidiol (CBD), a nonintoxicating phytocannabinoid, to reduce cue-induced craving and anxiety, two critical features of addiction that often contribute to relapse and continued drug use, in drug-abstinent individuals with heroin use disorder.
Methods:
45 men and women who took part in this clinical trial, were between the ages of 21 to 65 years old with opioid dependence and have not used opioids in the last 7 days.
This exploratory double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial assessed the acute (1 hour, 2 hours, and 24 hours), short-term (3 consecutive days), and protracted (7 days after the last of three consecutive daily administrations) effects of CBD administration (400 or 800 mg, once daily for 3 consecutive days) on drug cue-induced craving and anxiety in drug-abstinent individuals with heroin use disorder. Secondary measures assessed participants’ positive and negative affect, cognition, and physiological status.
Results: Acute CBD administration, in contrast to placebo, significantly reduced both craving and anxiety induced by the presentation of salient drug cues compared with neutral cues. CBD also showed significant protracted effects on these measures 7 days after the final short-term (3-day) CBD exposure. In addition, CBD reduced the drug cue-induced physiological measures of heart rate and salivary cortisol levels. There were no significant effects on cognition, and there were no serious adverse effects.
Conclusions: CBD‘s potential to reduce cue-induced craving and anxiety provides a strong basis for further investigation of this phytocannabinoid as a treatment option for opioid use disorder.
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