Cannabidiol as a Potential Treatment for Anxiety Disorders

Summary & key facts

This paper reviewed about 49 studies to see if cannabidiol, or CBD, could help anxiety problems. Most of the lab and animal studies show that a single dose of CBD can reduce signs of generalized anxiety, panic, social anxiety, obsessive–compulsive symptoms, and post‑traumatic stress in those models. Human studies so far also suggest short‑term doses of CBD reduce anxiety, and CBD does not cause the mind‑altering effects of THC. But there are very few studies of regular, long‑term use in people with real clinical diagnoses, so more research is needed before we can say how well CBD works as an ongoing treatment.

Key facts:

• The authors searched several databases and included about 49 preclinical, clinical, or population studies about CBD and anxiety published up to January 2015.
• In animal and other preclinical experiments, evidence strongly supports that a single dose of CBD can reduce symptoms related to generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and post‑traumatic stress disorder.
• Human experimental and early clinical studies also found anxiety‑reducing effects after acute (single‑dose) CBD, but there are very few studies testing repeated or long‑term CBD treatment in people with anxiety disorders.
• CBD is a chemical from the cannabis plant that does not produce the 'high' caused by THC.
• CBD affects several brain systems involved in fear and worry, including the brain's cannabinoid receptors and serotonin 5‑HT1A receptors, and it can act differently depending on dose and which receptors it engages.
• A review of side effects cited in the paper reported that CBD was generally well tolerated in humans across a wide oral dose range, up to about 1,500 mg per day, with no major safety signals reported in those studies.

Topics

Bipolar Disorder and Treatment Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Pharmacology

Tags

Anxiety Anxiety disorder Anxiolytic Cannabidiol Cannabis Clinical psychology Dosing Generalized anxiety disorder Medicine Neurology Panic disorder Pharmacology Psychiatry Social anxiety

Substances

Cannabis

Conditions & symptoms

Anxiety Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Panic disorder and phobias PTSD Anxiety or worry Panic