Key Points:
- A new study shoes CBD does not reduce the negative effects of THC in cannabis, reversing what many believe to be true.
- In the study, the only effect of CBD recorded was frequency of coughing as the concentration of CBD increased.
- Researchers say this data should be considered by policy makers exploring the topic of medicinal and recreational use of cannabis.
A new study has found no evidence that cannabidiol (CBD) reduces the negative effects of cannabis, challenging the commonly held belief that higher levels of CBD protect the user from psychotic experiences and memory problems.
In a study published in Neuropsychopharmacology, researchers tested 46 healthy volunteers over the course of four experiments to explore the effect of altering the CBD:THC ratio in cannabis. Each participant inhaled cannabis vapor containing 10 mg of THC and a differing level of CBD—0 mg, 10 mg, 20 mg, or 30 mg. The participants then completed a series of tasks, questionnaires and interviews designed to measure the effect on their cognitive abilities, severity of psychotic symptoms, and how pleasurable the drug was.
According to the study results, increasing the dose of CBD did not significantly change the effects of THC. The only recorded effect of increased CBD was an increase in the frequency in which participants coughed. The researchers say cannabis did increase the pleasure of music and chocolate for participants compared with sober volunteers, but CBD had no impact.
“THC and CBD are both produced from the same compound in the cannabis plant, so a variety which produces higher of amounts of CBD will naturally be lower in THC. It may still be safer for users to choose cannabis with higher CBD:THC ratios, but that’s because the same amount of cannabis will contain less THC than a lower CBD:THC variety. Overall, our advice to people wanting to avoid the negative effects of THC is to use less of it,” said Philip McGuire, the study’s senior author.
Information provided by King’s College London.