- A 600mg oral dose makes psychosis symptoms like depression less severe
- MRI scans reveal brain activity becomes ‘readjusted to normal levels’
- CBD does not contain any THC, which is the component that makes users ‘high’
- Medical cannabis was approved for prescriptions in the UK last July
- Marijuana is legal for medicinal purposes in 30 US states, including California
Ed. Note: This is kind of a duh. But there are a few misrepresentations and other issues with this article. CBD is not an antagonist of THC is the first one. THC in cannabis does not cause or make psychosis worse. That’s a fallacy and a perception that ‘high’ is a bad thing. It is not. It is bad to some people, but not everyone. Bias in science writing is not a good thing. Good science writing calls for a very even handed view of the facts and not an inserted bias that this reporter is doing. Sorry Alexandra.
When suspected psychosis patients are given a single 600mg oral dose of the compound cannabidiol (CBD), their symptoms become less severe, a UK study found today. Such symptoms can include hallucinations, delusions, anxiety and insomnia.
CBD appears to work in opposition to the other cannabis component THC, which worsens psychosis symptoms and is what makes users ‘high’. CBD that is legally sold in the UK must contain very low levels of THC.
After taking CBD, MRI scans of suspected psychosis patients suggest the supplement helps to ‘readjust brain activity to normal levels’, according to the researchers.
Medical cannabis is available on prescription in the UK after it was approved by the Government last July.
Marijuana is legal for medicinal purposes in 30 US states, including California, Florida and Ohio. Nine states permit the drug for recreational use.
One 600mg dose of a compound derived from cannabis reduces psychotic symptoms (stock)
How the research was carried out
The researchers, from King’s College London, analysed 33 people in their early-to-mid 20s who were experiencing distressing psychotic symptoms but had not been diagnosed with psychosis.
These individuals were compared against 19 healthy people with an average age of 23.
A 600mg dose of CBD was given to 16 of the suspected psychosis patients, with the remaining 17 receiving a placebo.
This dose was chosen due to it previously being shown to be effective in psychosis.
Three hours later, all of the participants were studied in an MRI scanner while performing a memory task that engages three regions of the brain known to be involved in psychosis.
The task involved the participants being shown pairs of words and answering if the words are linked. They were then asked to recall these words.
CBD works in opposition to the cannabis component THC, which worsens psychosis and is what makes users ‘high’. CBD that is legally sold in the UK must contain very low levels of THC
CBD could be an ‘ideal treatment’
Perhaps unsurprisingly, results suggest that the brain activity of a suspected psychosis patient is abnormal compared to that of a healthy person.
Yet, after a single CBD dose, these patients’ brain activity becomes less severe than those who were given a placebo.
The researchers believe their findings could pave the way for new psychosis treatments.
Study author Dr Sagnik Bhattacharyya said: ‘The mainstay of current treatment for people with psychosis are drugs that were first discovered in the 1950s and unfortunately do not work for everyone.
‘Our results have started unravelling the brain mechanisms of a new drug that works in a completely different way to traditional anti-psychotics.’
On the back of their findings, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, the researchers are launching a large trial to investigate whether CBD could treat people at risk of developing psychosis, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder patients.
Dr Bhattacharyya added: ‘One of the main advantages of cannabidiol is that it is safe and seems to be very well tolerated, making it in some ways an ideal treatment.
‘If successful, this trial will provide definitive proof of cannabidiol’s role as an antipsychotic treatment and pave the way for use in the clinic.’
