Cannabidiol as a treatment for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders

Cannabidiol as a treatment for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders

Abstract 

Purpose

Because of its actions on the endocannabinoid system, Cannabidiol (CBD) has a potential new function in the treatment of anxiety. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the latest evidence on the safety and efficacy of CBD in the treatment of anxiety and anxiety disorders.

Sources of knowledge

From the beginning of the database to June 2019, a literature search was conducted on PubMed, Google Scholar, and International Pharmaceutical Abstracts. In addition, a bibliographic review of related papers was carried out.

Selection of research

The analysis included articles that looked at the safety and effectiveness of CBD therapy in anxiety and anxiety-related disorders and were published as case studies, case series, or randomized controlled trials on human subjects.

Extraction of data

Year of publication; research design; patient characteristics (sex; type of anxiety disorder; use of concomitant anxiolytic therapy); dosing strategy and route of CBD administration; and protection and efficacy results were all derived by two reviewers independently from the papers.

Conclusions

The study included eight articles: six small randomized controlled trials, one case series, and one case report. The role of CBD in the anxiety response of healthy participants, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and the anxiety component of posttraumatic stress syndrome was investigated in these studies. There were no studies of CBD in panic disorder, specific phobia, separation anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder. CBD was used as a monotherapy or adjunctive therapy in the trials and was taken orally as a tablet or a sublingual spray. Doses ranged from 6 mg to 400 mg per dose, with experiments using fixed CBD doses ranging from 6 mg to 400 mg per dose. The research used a variety of anxiety assessment scales to determine effectiveness, with CBD showing enhanced clinical results across the board. CBD was generally well tolerated and associated with few side effects, with fatigue and sedation being the most widely reported side effects.

Final thoughts

CBD has a promising future as an alternative treatment for anxiety disorders. More research with standardized dosing methods and clinical outcome measurements is required, however, to evaluate the best CBD dosing strategy and its place in therapy.