Pharmacodynamic effects of vaporized and oral cannabidiol (CBD) and vaporized CBD-dominant cannabis in infrequent cannabis users

Summary & key facts

Researchers gave 18 healthy adults (9 men and 9 women) four different treatments across separate sessions: 100 mg oral CBD, 100 mg vaporized CBD, vaporized CBD-dominant cannabis that also had a small amount of THC, and a placebo. They measured how people felt, their heart rate and other vital signs, thinking and motor skills, and CBD/THC levels in the blood. Inhaled CBD and the CBD-dominant cannabis caused noticeable drug-like feelings compared with placebo, while 100 mg oral CBD did not. The CBD-dominant cannabis raised heart rate, but none of the treatments hurt thinking or coordination. Women sometimes reported stronger pleasant effects from the inhaled CBD products. The study is small and used only one dose in people who rarely use cannabis, so the results may not apply to other doses, products, or to regular users.

Key facts:

• Eighteen healthy adults (9 men and 9 women) each completed four sessions where they received one of: 100 mg oral CBD, 100 mg vaporized CBD, vaporized CBD-dominant cannabis (100 mg CBD and about 3.7 mg THC), or placebo.
• Researchers measured what participants felt, their heart rate and blood pressure, simple thinking and motor tests, and blood levels of CBD and THC after each session.
• Vaporized CBD and the vaporized CBD-dominant cannabis produced noticeable subjective drug effects compared with placebo, while 100 mg oral CBD did not change how people reported feeling compared with placebo.
• The CBD-dominant cannabis produced stronger subjective effects than vaporized CBD and also increased heart rate compared with placebo.
• No treatment caused measurable problems with cognition or motor skills in these tests.
• Women tended to report higher pleasant drug effects than men after using vaporized CBD and the CBD-dominant cannabis.
• This study tested only a single dose in people who rarely use cannabis and included a small number of participants, so the findings might not apply to different doses, frequent users, or other CBD products.

Topics

Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research Psychedelics and Drug Studies Sleep and Wakefulness Research

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Pharmacology

Tags

Cannabidiol Cannabis Medicine Pharmacodynamics Pharmacokinetics Pharmacology Psychiatry

Substances

Cannabis