CBD and alcoholism

Alcoholism affects millions of people around the world, but current treatments leave many still

more difficulties. Could CBD offer a more effective treatment for the physical and psychological effects of alcoholism

treatment and even help treat addictions? This question is being answered by a new review

The study .

Excellent CBD potential

The nascent cannabis industry is experiencing a period of rapid growth. As a result, the regulations are constantly changing.

With new financial incentives, researchers and the pharmaceutical industry are upgrading

interest in the medicinal properties of the cannabis plant.

Cannabis has no shortage of potential medicinal compounds. The plant contains more than 100 different

cannabinoids. However, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the most common and well

to investigate.

CBD in particular has received a lot of attention recently. And because of its good properties, CBD, in addition to

psychoactive and other serious side effects, it is a suitable candidate for pharmaceutical products.

In fact, pre-clinical studies consistently demonstrate the value of CBD as a medicinal tool. These studies show,

that CBD may have protective effects against inflammation, anxiety, nausea, seizures and oxidative stress.

With such a wide range of potential benefits, researchers are keen to test the effects of CBD on a wide range of clinical

purposes. This includes alcohol use disorder, commonly known as alcoholism, and other drug

consumption disorders.

Alcoholism: more common than you might think

Alcoholism occurs when someone loses control over their alcohol intake. This may

both physical and emotional dependence on drugs. The results are significant – interrupted

relationships, poor performance at work, risky or illegal behaviour such as drinking alcohol

while driving, and significant neurological liver damage.

Unfortunately, alcoholism is a very common disorder. More than 16 million Americans abuse

alcohol. That’s just over 6% of all adults over the age of 18 in the US, so

Alcoholism is a major public health concern.

Several drugs have been approved by European and US government agencies for the treatment of alcoholism, including

acamprosate and naltrexone. However, many patients do not have successful results.

Could CBD help people with alcoholism?

To improve patient outcomes, researchers are looking for new compounds that use

new mechanisms to treat alcohol use disorders.

CBD is a strong candidate.

Firstly, CBD’s anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects could help combat alcohol-related

physical damage to the body.

In addition, there is strong evidence to support CBD as an effective treatment for seizures, which are common in

side effects of withdrawal from heavy alcoholic drinks.

This means that CBD can prevent the urge to consume alcohol in excess.

The new study

McMaster University and St. St Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton Research Hospital in Canada,

researchers wanted to further explore the potential of CBD as a treatment for alcoholism.

They searched for peer-reviewed studies that used CBD as an intervention for any alcohol

the harm caused. Only 12 studies met the investigators’ criteria – 8 using rodent models, 3

using healthy adult volunteers and 1 using cell culture.

CBD prevents neurodegeneration

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to neuronal inflammation and oxidative stress. For this reason

different parts of the brain are affected, including regions involved in attention and problem solving,

information processing, learning and memory.

Alcohol-induced brain damage is associated with a higher risk of relapse, which is even more damaging

the brain, resulting in harsh feedback loops.

However, results from pre-clinical studies using cell culture and animal models suggest that CBD

helps protect the brain from the harmful effects of alcohol. In these studies, CBD prevented

neuronal damage and reduced impulsive behaviour.

Unfortunately, there are no similar studies in humans. However, in one clinical trial, researchers demonstrated that CBD

had no significant cognitive side-effects (compared to alcohol and THC) and healthy

well tolerated by adults.

CBD and alcohol relapse

After undergoing detoxification and treatment for substance abuse,

people with alcohol use disorders are still prone to relapse. The likelihood of a relapse may

many factors, including situational cravings, stress and anxiety. CBD can target all

these factors.

In animal models, CBD reduced alcohol behaviour, withdrawal symptoms and anxiety. When

relapse occurred, CBD-treated animals consumed less alcohol and showed less motivation to drink.

There are no similar studies in humans, but there are clinical studies in humans that show that CBD

has a positive impact on cannabis and tobacco dependence .

CBD reverses liver damage

One of the most harmful physical side-effects of alcoholism is liver damage. In fact,

it is the leading cause of liver disease worldwide.

Researchers have shown in pre-clinical studies that CBD can benefit the liver. What about alcohol

in context?

Again, CBD is beneficial. In animal studies, CBD was able to reverse the harmful effects of alcohol

for the liver, possibly due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity.

Conclusion

Preclinical studies using cell culture and animal models show that CBD can be highly

effective treatment for alcohol use disorder. CBD protects the brain and liver from alcohol

harm and helps reduce the likelihood and severity of relapse.

The only problem is the lack of data on people. Future research should focus on the following

validating results in clinical trials, narrowing down possible mechanisms and therapeutic effects and

determine the optimal doses.

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