CBD News Roundup: Study Finds CBD Could Help Cannabis Addiction

Here’s the latest CBD news:

• A study has found that prescribed CBD could help people quit their cannabis addictions.
• CV Sciences looks to expand its footprint as it launches its first non-CBD products.

Study: CBD Helps Fight Cannabis Addiction

The first-ever randomized clinical trial of CBD for cannabis addiction has shown that prescribed doses of cannabidiol can help people quit marijuana.

The study, published in Lancet Psychiatry, showed that CBD helped subjects reduce or cease their use of cannabis. 

In total, 82 participants were involved in the study. These individuals had each met a clinical diagnosis of a cannabis use disorder and had previously failed to quit cannabis at least once. They participated in an effort to quit again. 

In the first stage, 48 volunteers were given a placebo of CBD in doses of 200mg, 400mg, or 800mg. The 200mg dose was found to be ineffective and was dropped after the first stage.

In stage two, an additional 34 volunteers were given the same treatments. The results showed that 400mg and 800mg were more effective than the placebo at reducing cannabis use. Participants who were treated with CBD had lower levels of cannabis in their urine as well as reported being abstinent for longer than those who were treated with the placebo.  

According to the study’s lead author, Dr. Tom Freeman, Director of the Addiction and Mental Health Group in the University of Bath Department of Psychology, “The results from our trial open up a novel therapeutic strategy for managing problematic cannabis use in clinical settings. As we highlight, CBD at daily oral doses of 400mg and 800mg has potential to address the substantial and currently unmet clinical need for a pharmacological treatment of cannabis use disorders.”

“Whilst it may seem counterintuitive to treat problematic cannabis use with CBD—a constituent part of the cannabis plant—THC and CBD have contrasting effects on our own endogenous cannabinoid system. Unlike THC, CBD does not produce intoxicating or rewarding effects and it shows potential for treating several other medical disorders.”

CBD is perhaps able to aid in cannabis addiction as it actively counteracts the intoxicating effects of THC. 

In Europe, cannabis is now the number one reason why first-time clients seek addiction services, partly due to an increased concentration of THC in cannabis products. 

There are currently no recommended therapies to help treat cannabis addiction.

CV Sciences Launches First Non-CBD Products

CV Sciences has officially launched a line of non-CBD products as it seeks to expand its footprint. 

The first product to hit shelves is CV™ Acute, a dietary supplement containing Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) herbs—yet void of any cannabis-derived ingredients—that aims to support the immune system and respiratory health.

In a statement, CV Sciences said: “This new non-CBD product line will open markets and sales channels … including major e-commerce retailers not currently accessible by CBD-based products.”

A March study from the International Journal of Biological Sciences showed in vitro evidence that the formula had a preventative effect on SARS-COV2, the virus that causes COVID-19, although this data is preliminary. 

CV Sciences Medical Advisor, Michael D. Lewis, MD, MPH, Colonel (Retired), U.S. Army, worked with the Department of Defense Global Emerging Infections Surveillance Program in Southeast Asia in the early 2000s and there helped manage both the SARS and Bird Flu outbreaks for the U.S. military. 

“There I observed the tremendous value in combining traditional herbs with modern diagnosis and treatment,” he said. “TCM herbs have powerful anti-viral and anti-inflammatory activity without side-effects [often] associated with drugs. The herbs in CV™ Acute have been shown to be safe and effective alone or when added to modern medical treatment of viral and bacterial infections.”

CV Sciences CEO, Joseph Dowling, had the following to say about the product launch.

“Our launch of CV™ Acute represents a strategic category expansion, and a natural evolution of CV Sciences’ positioning as a leading health and wellness company,” he said. “CV™ Acute is considered a valuable botanical formula to maintain immune and respiratory health at times when protection is needed the most – including the uncertain times of the 2020/2021 flu season. This is particularly important as many retailers have not been able to offer CBD products, which have also demonstrated immune system support.”

Dowling also said CV Sciences considered adding CBD to the formula, but “our goal is to make CV™ Acute broadly available to consumers through all retail channels at an affordable price so they can have easy access to the immune and respiratory health benefits this formula has demonstrated to provide. We view PlusCBD™ as a companion product to CV™ Acute because PlusCBD™ provides maintenance for the immune and endocannabinoid systems, while CV™ Acute delivers high-intensity immune support when needed.”