Prescription CBD is safe for daily use in treating cannabis use disorder, according to a new trial published in The Lancet Psychiatry. The trial is the first of its kind to suggest that CBD - a major active compound found in the cannabis plant - can be used to treat cannabis addiction.
The double-blind, randomised, controlled trial ran over four weeks with 82 participants diagnosed with cannabis use disorder. Each participant had received a diagnosis of at least moderate severity, expressed a desire to quit within the next month, and had attempted to quit on at least one previous occasion.
Cannabis use disorder is defined as the continued use of cannabis despite clinically significant impairment.
Participants were asked to take two capsules of CBD twice daily for four weeks. Those in the placebo group received capsules containing no CBD, while the remaining participants were given a daily dose of either 200mg, 400mg or 800mg of CBD.
Researchers found that a daily dose of between 400mg and 800mg of CBD reduced participants' cannabis intake. Abstinence from cannabis use increased by an average of 0.5 days per week in the group receiving the 400mg daily dose, and 0.3 days per week among those on 800mg daily.
No serious adverse events were recorded during the study, indicating that CBD was safe and well tolerated at all doses tested.
Dr Tom Freeman, the study's lead author and Director of the Addiction and Mental Health Group at the University of Bath, UK, said: "Our study provides the first causal evidence to support cannabidiol, or CBD, as a treatment for cannabis use disorders. This is encouraging, as there are currently no drug treatments for cannabis addiction. CBD products are widely available in many countries but we would not advise people to self-medicate with these products. People with concerns about their cannabis use should always speak to a healthcare professional in the first instance."
Professor Valerie Curran, senior author and Director of the Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit at University College London, UK, added: "Our findings indicate that CBD doses ranging from 400mg to 800mg daily have the potential to reduce cannabis use in clinical settings, but higher doses are unlikely to bring any additional benefit. Larger studies are needed to determine the magnitude of the benefits of daily CBD for reducing cannabis use."
