Cannabis is a psychedelic drug that is increasingly legal in the Western world for medicinal and recreational purposes. At the same time, more powerful drugs are used in terms of 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). THC is known to cause severe side effects and can cause long-term damage when used regularly in large doses.
Recent neuropsychopharmacology research is investigating whether these negative effects can be reduced by increasing the amount of cannabidiol (CBD) in these products.
Introduction
Heavy cannabis users have been reported to experience severe memory and attention deficits from high THC cannabis preparations and psychotic symptoms. In long-term use, this can lead to a greater risk of psychosis and the development of cannabis use disorders. As a chemical, CBD does not affect cognitive function or prevent the development of psychosis, the risk of these two events is low in users who smoke cannabis with a high CBD content, regardless of how often they and – eat. When CBD was first followed by THC, it was reported that the memory and emotional effects of THC were reduced in light users, but not with regular use.
About the study
The current study examines the significant effects of cannabis on four different systems of CBD versus THC. The following CBD:THC ratios of 0:1, 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 were tested in 46 healthy volunteers aged 21 to 50 who regularly use cannabis. Clearly, the study participants had used this drug once or more in the past, but not more than once a week in the past year.
None of the study participants had a drug use problem or used synthetic cannabinoids. The current study followed a double-blind design using vaporized cannabis containing 10 mg THC and 0, 10, 20, or 30 mg of CBD. The researchers assessed their cognitive and verbal memory effects using the Hopkins Verbal Learning Task. At the same time, psychological symptoms were assessed using the positive score of the Panic and Panic Disorder Scale (PANSS).
The participants in the study first smoked cannabis, after which they completed a cognitive test and showed that they had a pleasant feeling based on the taste of chocolate and their fear. Participants were then asked to shop at the hospital store.
After that, the subjects are given time for the effects of the drug to wear off. Finally, they completed a journal to describe their psychological experiences, including distressing thoughts, self-reports of psychological distress, and visual observations of their personal feelings following drug use.
Finally, they completed an interview to complete the PANSS-P.
What did the study show?
In all cases, the highest levels of THC and THC metabolites in the blood are similar. However, peak CBD levels increased with the THC:CBD ratio.
THC produced the same effect in all rats, with immediate and delayed word memory impaired from baseline, regardless of the presence or dose of CBD. Here, THC induced a high rate of psychotic hallucinations, both immediate and delayed.
Positive psychotic effects were greater after inhalation, with half of the total participants showing an increase in their PANSS-P score of three points from baseline at all levels and with no significant differences between extremes. Psychotic thoughts increased in groups without differences between different groups.
However, persecutory thoughts did not increase in any way with drug use. Other tests have shown that the feeling of pleasure or euphoria is well distributed, regardless of the ratio of CBD: THC. In addition, the effect of euphoria was not related to the plasma levels of the two compounds. Although the heart rate increased after breathing, there was no change in blood pressure or temperature. However, the cough during inhalation is significantly increased by the CBD dose. Additionally, with the longer time required to fully inhale, the peak concentration in the CBD:THC ratio is reduced.