A single 800mg dose of orally administered CBD can significantly reduce a subject’s cravings for alcohol, according to the results of a new study.
Researchers from the Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine at the University of Heidelberg in Germany analysed how CBD impacts alcohol cravings and brain activity in people with alcohol use disorder (AUD).
The placebo-controlled study, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry found that a single 800mg dose of CBD was effective in reducing alcohol cravings and reducing activity in the brain’s reward centre.
28 individuals who use alcohol daily were randomly placed into two groups. One group was given 800mg of synthetic CBD while one group was given a placebo. Participants then took part in a series of tests, including stress and alcohol-cue exposure, where they viewed alcohol-related images or were placed in an environment resembling a bar.
Their alcohol cravings were evaluated through questionnaires, while brain activity was measured using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
“Individuals receiving CBD… reported significantly lower alcohol cravings,” researchers said. “No adverse events or serious adverse events were reported by the participants of the study during the test session.”
Cannabidiol, widely abbreviated to CBD, is a compound found in the cannabis plant that has been extensively studied for its medical and therapeutic benefits. It can be extracted from cannabis plants or synthesised in a laboratory. Previous trials have shown CBD to have the potential to treat addiction by reducing cravings for other habit-forming substances such as tobacco and opioids.
This study “provides evidence for the significant effects of CBD on neurobiological disease mechanisms and symptoms in AUD,” the authors said. “The observed potential of CBD to reduce cue-induced… alcohol craving, together with its good safety profile, supports the potential of CBD to treat individuals with AUD.”
It is estimated that there are over 600,000 dependent drinkers in the UK, yet only 18% are receiving treatment. In England 8,274 people lost their lives due to alcohol consumption in 2023, a 42 percent increase since 2019.
This story first appeared on leafie, view here
Author: Liam O’Dowd
