A new placebo-controlled study published in last month’s issue of the journal Addictive Behaviors has found that cannabidiol – a cannabis compound – can significantly reduce the number of cigarettes consumed by those wishing to quit.
For the study, participants were given cannabidiol (CBD) through an inhaler – the CBD was derived entirely from the actual cannabis plant. Partipants were seperated into two groups, one which received the inhaler containing CBD, and one which contained a placebo.
Researchers found that those in the placebo group showed no difference in the amount that they smoked. However, those in the CBD group smoked, on average, 40% less after just a 1-week period.
“We found that CBD seems to reduce the salience of cues. It also can reduce anxiety and may affect a memory process called ‘reconsolidation,’ which is where when a memory of the reward of smoking is re-activated by seeing someone smoking, it is rendered vulnerable to destruction”, says Dr. Celia Morgan, co-author of the study. “CBD might mean these positive smoking memories are gradually erased,”
The full study can be found by clicking here.
Source: thejointblog.com