For many years, cannabis-based research has been completely prohibited, or at least severely hampered, in many parts of the world. Meanwhile, mainstream media and cannabis opponents have pushed the false narrative that cannabis is “bad for the human brain in all cases, without exception.”
The truth, of course, is that as researchers continue to explore and unravel the health benefits of cannabinoids, the cannabis plant may be effective in providing relief for patients suffering from a variety of symptoms, including mental health conditions. It means that we are learning that there is.
A team of researchers recently conducted a clinical trial in the UK investigating the relationship between cannabidiol (CBD) and symptoms in patients at high risk of psychosis. Below is more information from a news release from NORML.
London, UK: Daily use of cannabidiol reduces the severity of symptoms in patients at high risk of developing clinical psychosis, according to data from a placebo-controlled clinical trial published in the journal World Psychiatry.
31 patients completed the study. Subjects took 600mg of CBD or a placebo daily for three weeks. No participants received prescription medication during the study. Patients were evaluated at baseline, day 7, and day 21.
Compared to the placebo group, patients who received CBD had lower CAARMS (Comprehensive Assessment of Risk Mental States) total scores after treatment. CBD administration was associated with “reduced severity of CHR (clinically high risk) symptoms and distress associated with psychotic experiences,” the researchers reported.
The authors of this study concluded: “Short-term treatment with CBD can improve the symptoms of psychotic CHR conditions and is well tolerated. These results support the potential of CBD as a new treatment for psychosis and its clinical utility. This highlights the need for larger efficacy studies for further evaluation.”
Another study demonstrated that CBD use reduced psychotic symptoms and antipsychotic medication use in patients with schizophrenia.
The full text of the study, “Effects of cannabidiol on symptoms in people in clinical settings. High risk of psychosis,” was published in World Psychiatry.
This article first appeared on Internationalcbc.com and is published here with special permission.
Photo credit: Daniel Lesh
