CBD Benefits
CBD research is has expanded dramatically since 2018, when the Agriculture Improvement Act was passed into law, removing hemp from the federal Controlled Substances Act, effectively legalizing CBD if it comes from hemp. Recent studies, some reported by Forbes Health in January 2023, suggest CBD oil could benefit patient health in the following ways:
Offsetting Anxiety and Depression
One of the most popular uses for CBD oil is to reduce anxiety. Data from a 2017 study in the Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry show participants who received 300 milligrams of CBD experienced significantly reduced anxiety during a test compared to those who received a placebo. Another promising study indicated CBD had similar effects to the antidepressant imipramine in mice.
Improving Sleep
The Permanente Journal published a study in 2019 wherein 66.7% of subjects experienced improvement in sleep after the first monthly assessment. Sleep improvement continued in 56.1% of patients after months two and three. CBD was well tolerated, with few patients reporting mild side effects akin to fatigue and dry eyes.
Relieving Unmanageable Pain
In 2005, Canada approved the use of Sativex, an oromucosal (absorbed in the lining of the mouth) spray with equal proportions of THC and CBD, for the treatment of multiple sclerosis-related central neuropathic pain. In 2007, Canada approved the medicine’s use again for cancer pain that proved unresponsive to other medications.
Ongoing studies in the U.S. show CBD is effective in treating chronic, non-cancer pain. In one 2020 study, researchers administered CBD topically to a group of patients with symptomatic peripheral neuropathy (a result of brain nerve and spinal cord nerve damage) while another group with the same condition received a placebo. Results showed a significant reduction in intense, sharp pains and cold, itchy sensations in those who used the topical CBD compared to those who used the placebo. No participants reported adverse side effects.
When introduced topically, CBD oil doesn’t affect the systemic issue as it might if it were introduced directly into the bloodstream. Instead, topical CBD is more localized and treats pain in a certain area. Since it’s more direct, it may have a more pronounced effect.
Reducing PTSD Symptoms
In a small 2018 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 11 people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) received CBD along with routine psychiatric care for eight weeks in an outpatient psychiatric clinic. Ten of the 11 (or 90.9%) experienced a decrease in their PTSD symptoms. CBD was generally well tolerated, the researchers wrote.
Four other human trials from 2012 to 2016 indicate CBD reduced PTSD symptoms, although some included THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, the main mind-altering element in cannabis. When THC and CBD work together, they create an “entourage effect,” complementing each other’s benefits and potency. For example, taking the same dose of THC and CBD together tempers the “high” from THC, while just a little THC paired with more CBD enhances the effects of the CBD.
Inhibiting Arthritis Symptoms
Arthritis involves the deterioration of the tissues in and around your joints. There are several types of arthritis, and symptoms include pain, stiffness and loss of motion. Arthritis treatment usually targets pain relief and improved joint function.
A 2006 study found that Sativex—a CBD-based botanical drug approved in the United Kingdom in 2010—promoted statistically significant improvements in quality of sleep, pain during movement and pain at rest in patients with rheumatoid arthritis when compared to a placebo. It was the first controlled trial of Sativex as a treatment for rheumatoid arthritis, involving 58 patients. CBD was found to have a pain-relieving effect, as well as an ability to suppress disease activity.
In 2018, in a study of more localized treatment, researchers administered a synthetic CBD gel in either 250-milligram or 500-milligram doses daily or a placebo to patients with knee pain due to osteoarthritis. Patients also stopped taking any other anti-inflammatory medications or painkillers, with the exception of acetaminophen, before and during the study period.
The results were interesting, although not entirely conclusive. On one hand, those treated with CBD did not experience much change in pain when compared with placebo patients. On the other hand, there were statistically significant differences between the group receiving the 250-milligram dose and the placebo group when measuring the average weekly improvement of their worst pain levels and their WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index) physical function rating. Additionally, men seemed to benefit from CBD more significantly than women in this test.
Treating Select Epilepsy Symptoms
In 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of CBD under the brand name Epidiolex to treat seizures resulting from Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome—two rare forms of epilepsy—in patients at least 2 years old.
Three peer-reviewed studies provided the basis of support for the FDA’s decision. In these trials, 516 patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet syndrome received either Epidiolex or a placebo. Epidiolex, when taken along with other prescribed medications, decreased the frequency of participants’ seizures compared to the placebo.
