CBD May Reduce Craving for Alcohol, Study Finds

CBD may hold promise as a tool to help people reduce problem drinking, according to a new study published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research. Cannabidiol, commonly known as CBD, modifies the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces physical signs of anxiety and self-reported craving for alcohol in people with alcohol use disorder. No adverse side effects, such as drowsiness or cognitive issues, were observed during the short-term regimen. The authors of the study recommend more research to determine whether CBD could be an effective treatment to help people recover from alcohol use disorder.

The study sought to examine whether CBD could modify craving and dysregulated responses to alcohol cues in people with alcohol use disorder. CBD is a natural component of the cannabis plant that does not produce psychoactive effects. Australian researchers administered 800 milligrams of CBD per day or a placebo for three days to adults with alcohol use disorder. Participants’ craving and mood were assessed periodically using questionnaires, and physiologic responses were measured using electrodes on the skin, including while the participants were in the presence of alcohol, and audio and visual cues related to drinking.

CBD was found on several measures to have beneficial effects on anxiety and craving, compared to placebo. Participants who had been administered CBD showed elevated high-frequency heart rate variability, indicating increased activity in the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps the body relax during times of stress and may reduce the feeling of needing a drink. Participants in the CBD sessions also reported reductions in anxiety from baseline to exposure to alcohol cues, while the placebo group reported increases in anxiety. During exposure to alcohol cues, activity in the parasympathetic nervous system did lessen somewhat, but after the alcohol cue task, the CBD group reported reduced craving for alcohol, whereas the placebo group did not.

The study also found that participants tolerated CBD well; no significant side effects were reported. There were no significant differences between the CBD and placebo groups on any measures of cognitive functioning, including visual attention, processing speed, and basic motor function. Participants did not report significantly higher sedation following CBD administration compared to placebo.

Previous research has found that heavy drinking is associated with heightened levels of anxiety and stress and contributes to relapse. Animal studies have found CBD to have neuroprotective effects and reduce anxiety and craving. The current study’s findings that CBD may reduce symptoms of anxiety and craving without negatively affecting executive function or alertness signify that it may have therapeutic potential for people with alcohol use disorder. The study’s generalizability is limited by its small sample size, particularly of male participants, but it provides guidance for larger and longer human therapeutic efficacy studies.

Cannabidiol alters psychophysiological, craving and anxiety responses in an alcohol cue reactivity task: A cross-over randomized controlled trial. T. Hurzeler, W. Logge, J. Watt, I. McGregor, A. Suraev, P. Haber, K. Morley.

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