Reducing drug use may also be accomplished by reducing the reasons people turn to drugs in the first place. Many people use substances because they are experiencing a lot of stress or because they have mental health disorders. CBD is known to help boost mental health. Multiple animal studies have found that treating mice with CBD leads to fewer markers of stress and less impulsive behavior. Future studies may show that CBD can help people have a healthier response to stress and be less likely to use drugs.

CBD may also have a protective effect on the brain. Mice have fewer cocaine-induced seizures while on CBD. Additionally, while drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, and even cigarettes often cause problems with memory and focus, experiments have shown that mice that took CBD had better brain function. This has not yet been well-studied in humans, but it may mean that CBD can support brain health.

Effects of CBD on the Body

Scientists don’t yet know for sure why CBD may affect people with addiction, but some early laboratory studies provide a few clues. Animal studies have shown that CBD may affect some of the side effects caused by addiction. For example, cocaine typically causes liver damage, but this effect was decreased in CBD-treated mice. This shows that CBD may boost organ health in people struggling with substance misuse.

CBD for Stopping Smoking

Whether you’re looking to give up nicotine, marijuana, or both, CBD may play a role in helping you to quit for good. A case study, published in a 2015 edition of Integrative Medicine: A Clinician’s Journal, followed a patient who had bipolar disorder and a marijuana addiction. This patient was able to stop using marijuana after he began treatment with CBD oil; his sleep also improved, while his anxiety levels were reduced.

CBD can also make it easier to cut back on cigarettes. In 2013, a study in Addictive Behaviors found that cigarette smokers were able to reduce their cigarette consumption by 40 percent after they started using CBD. On the other hand, study participants who took a placebo did not cut back on cigarettes, showing that the CBD did have a meaningful effect.

CBD and Quitting Marijuana

While marijuana is becoming legalized in many places and increasing numbers of people are using the drug, it can have negative effects. THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, can lead to psychosis and addiction. People are seeking substance abuse treatment for marijuana at skyrocketing rates, but currently there is no recognized treatment for cannabis addiction.

Brand-new research shows that CBD may help people who abuse marijuana. In a randomized controlled clinical trial recently published in The Lancet Psychiatry, researchers enrolled 82 people who struggled with marijuana use disorder. All of the participants received counseling for addiction, and were randomly assigned to receive different doses of CBD or a placebo. People who took the lowest dose of CBD, 200 milligrams, did not experience any effects, but CBD was useful for people who took 400 or 800 milligrams. Study participants who took these higher doses abstained from using marijuana for longer periods of time and reduced the overall amount that they smoked. The study found that using CBD to treat marijuana misuse was not only effective, but also safe, with no participants experiencing any major side effects.

CBD and Alcohol

Just as CBD may help people fighting substance use, it may also help people who drink heavily. One mouse study showed that CBD led to 50% less brain cell death during binge drinking. Another experiment found that when mice with a history of alcohol dependency received CBD, they were less likely to drink in the future.

Additional human studies are needed in order to better determine how CBD affects addiction. Animal studies look promising, and clinical trials looking at the role of CBD in substance use disorders are ongoing. For example, CBD treatments are currently being investigated for people struggling with cocaine or alcohol abuse. Future research will help us better understand how CBD affects people with addiction.

Sources:

1) ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4718203/

2) sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030646031300083X

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