CBD has consistently blown the collective mind of the healthcare industry time and again in recent times. Specifically, there has been an uptick in research studying how cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabinoid found in many strains of cannabis, is useful in helping to keep addicts sober. The results of the research are available publicly on pubmed.
Staying sober is a never-ending battle for addicts trying to maintain abstinence. Experiencing anxiety, high levels of stress, and the temptation to find an easier way out are staples in the process of addiction recovery. Many find it difficult to suppress their urges when offered an alternative from the hardships of life, such as addicting drugs or alcohol.
CBD is the major non-psychoactive, non-addictive component of Cannabis sativa. CBD has been contemplated for some time as a possible alternative for treatment for various psychiatric and neurological disorders, and more recently also for the treatment of alcohol and drug related addictions.
This research is based on the work of scientist Friedbert Weiss. He works for the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. Weiss and his associates were determined to test the results of CBD on drug relapse with rats who were alcohol and cocaine addicts as test subjects.
Topical Gel
The laboratory rats showed the negative behavior of addicts who felt the need to administer alcohol and cocaine to themselves. CBD was imbued into a gel, which was accordingly spread onto the test subjects daily. The experiment continued for one week, and showed significantly positive results afterwards. Behaviors resembling addictive patterns in humans were less likely to be manifested when the lab rats were put into circumstances that caused fear-centered and mental distress. This is good news, because most human beings and rats relapse when they are made anxious by certain stimuli.
This suggests that topical CBD products, like TheraGreen topical CBD from Green Roads World, may be beneficial not only for relieving local pain and inflammation, but for more systemic mood and mental health rejuvenation.
CBD was beneficial in the following aspects, as concluded by those who participated in the study:
- CBD can decrease the instances of anxiety attacks and impulsive behavior
- Relapse time was greatly reduced in the CBD-control subjects
The study proves how CBD can potentially treat addictive behaviors. Weiss said that CBD efficiently lowered relapse of drug-seeking behavior in rats who were addicted to heroin, cocaine and alcohol. This showed that CBD may also be used to treat other classes of addictive drugs.
The findings also confirmed that CBD can prevent relapse with only a short treatment time yet delivered effects that lasted in the long-term. CBD was also able to target various relapse vulnerabilities, which is better than treatments that could only target one. Notably, this makes CBD a very successful and powerful treatment. In addition to topical applications, CBD oils with sublingual administration are very popular among people with mood and sleep disorders because of their fast onset and powerful balancing effects.
CBD has its balancing effects in the endocannabinoid system (ECS), but CBD is also active in the serotonergic system. Serotonin is the primary mood-regulating neurotransmitter in mammals, and the fear and anxiety center of the brain – known as the amygdala – is inhibited by serotonin release. This means serotonin acts as a red light or a brake pedal for the anxiety locus of the brain, helping to reduce the emotional feelings associated with fear and stress. CBD mimics the exact effect of serotonin at the serotonin receptors. It also causes the brain to increase the natural levels of serotonin in this part of the brain as well. These effects, combined with CBD’s effects on the ECS, greatly reduce anxiety and fear-centered behaviors. This is beneficial no only for addicts and those in recovery, but for the general public who deals with anxiety, depression, and other mood disorders.
CBD cleared from the lab rats’ blood plasma and brains three days following the last day of the week long CBD therapy. Despite this, results endured long after the CBD was no longer in the system. After five months of continuous study on the test subjects, they displayed favorable effects stemming from the initial 7 day treatment. Even in stressful or anxiety-inducing circumstances, relapse time was decreased. This would be very beneficial for addicts if the treatment was made available to humans.
These findings and others similar to them are published online and readily available to the general public.
