Study Indicates That Oral CBD May Provide Relief From Anxiety Disorders

Cannabidiol (CBD) has been utilized for a variety of medicinal purposes. A recent study published in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry, revealed that oral CBD is “safe and effective for patients suffering from mild to moderate anxiety disorders,” (1,2). The purpose for the study was to investigate how nanodispersible CBD affects the body, as well as the safety and efficiency of the cannabinoid (2).

Researchers specifically analyzed 150 mg/mL of CBD against a placebo option in a pool of 178 participants suffering from anxiety. These subjects were then instructed to consume the placebo or CBD for a period of 15 weeks to see how efficient the cannabinoid could be (1). Researchers discovered that (1), “CBD oral solution showed therapeutic efficacy, excellent safety, and tolerability in treating not only mild to moderate anxiety disorders, but also associated depression and disturbances in sleep quality with no incidences of withdrawal anxiety upon dose tapering and at the end of the treatment.” They concluded, “CBD oral solution exhibited superior efficacy in achieving the primary and secondary objectives when compared to the placebo group.”

In the study (2), the researchers stated that They stated that, "Our findings indicate that administering 300–600 mg of nanodispersible CBD oral solution for 12 weeks is effective in treating mild to moderate anxiety disorders and associated depression and sleep quality disturbances. These findings align with the growing body of evidence indicating that CBD may have anxiolytic effects if administered for a longer duration, ranging from 4 to 12 weeks." The primary outcome of the data showed that nanodispersible CBD decreased General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) scores (2). In regard to the secondary outcome (2), researchers also found Clinical Global Impression – Improvement Scale (CGI-I), Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI-S), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores were lowered.

AZ Marijuana reported how the data from this recent study reflects similarly to additional research that has been performed with CBD on other disorders such as, social anxiety disorder, treatment-resistant anxiety disorders, and emotional exhaustion (1). In those clinical trials, CBD has reduced levels seen with these disorders.

References

1. Kingston, D. Oral CBD has “superior efficacy” at treating anxiety https://azmarijuana.com/arizona-medical-marijuana-news/oral-cbd-has-superior-efficacy-at-treating-anxiety/ (accessed Sep 4, 2024).
2. Gundugurti, P. R.; Banda, N.; Yadlapalli, S. S. R.; Narala, A.; Thatikonda, R.; Kocherlakota, C.; Kothapalli, K. S. Evaluation of the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of nanodispersible cannabidiol oral solution (150 mg/ml) versus placebo in mild to moderate anxiety subjects: A double blind multicenter randomized clinical trial https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1876201824001667 (accessed Sep 4, 2024).