Cannabis not made safer by increasing its CBD content

Cannabis nowadays is widely used for recreational and medicinal drugs. New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London has found no evidence that cannabidiol (CBD) reduces the negative effects of cannabis.

The research, published in Neuropsychopharmacology, challenges the commonly held belief that using cannabis that contains higher levels of cannabidiol protects the user from psychotic experiences and memory problems, and suggests that this should be considered by policy makers currently exploring the topic of medicinal and recreational use.

46 healthy volunteers completed a randomised and double-blind trial. Over the course of four experiments, each participant inhaled cannabis vapour containing 10mg of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and a differing level of cannabidiol (0mg, 10mg, 20mg, or 30mg). They then completed a series of tasks, questionnaires and interviews designed to measure the effect on their cognitive abilities, severity of psychotic symptoms, and how pleasurable the drug was.

In conclusion this study, explored the effect of altering the cannabidiol: Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol ratio in cannabis. However, they found increasing the dose of cannabidiol did not significantly change the effects of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol on cognitive performance, psychotic symptoms or how pleasurable the drug experience was.

Reference:

Cannabis not made safer by increasing its CBD content; KING'S COLLEGE LONDON; JOURNAL: Neuropsychopharmacology, DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01478-z.