A recent study from Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics has upended the conventional understanding of how cannabidiol (CBD) interacts with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), suggesting that CBD may actually enhance, rather than mitigate, the effects of THC.
This revelation is quite the opposite of popular belief that CBD can buffer the adverse effects associated with THC, reported PsyPost.
CBD Amplifies, Not Alleviates, THC Effects
The study, conducted by researchers at Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands, found that high doses of CBD (450 mg) significantly increased the psychotropic effects of THC. This interaction appears to stem from a pharmacokinetic change where CBD raises THC levels in the bloodstream, intensifying its impact.
“Cannabis has both recreational and potential therapeutic uses, particularly in pain management,” said Geert Jan Groeneveld, the study’s lead author and a professor of clinical neuropharmacology.
“Our findings challenge the notion that CBD mitigates the negative effects of THC.”
Read Also: Cannabis Linked To Diabetes Prevention And Better Blood Sugar Control, New Study Finds
Study Methodology
The research involved 37 healthy volunteers who were experienced with cannabis but did not use it frequently.
These participants underwent a rigorous double-blind, placebo-controlled study, receiving varying doses of CBD before THC to synchronize their peak effects in the bloodstream. Researchers then assessed the effects through both subjective self-reports and objective performance tests.
Contrary to previous beliefs, the highest dose of CBD led to increased feelings of intoxication and greater impairment in cognitive and psychomotor functions. Whereas lower doses of CBD (10 mg and 30 mg) showed no significant effect on reducing THC-induced anxiety or cognitive impairment.
Get Benzinga’s exclusive analysis and the top news about the cannabis industry and markets daily in your inbox for free. Subscribe to our newsletter here. If you’re serious about the business, you can’t afford to miss out.
Further Implications For CBD studies
The implications of these findings are profound, suggesting that common practices around the use of CBD-rich cannabis products for their purported protective effects against THC may need reevaluation.
“CBD does not alleviate psychomimetic effects of THC or reduce anxiety,” said Groeneveld. “In higher dose levels, it enhances the effects of THC because it inhibits the breakdown of THC in the liver.”
Groeneveld and his and team’s study also builds on previous findings leaning in the same direction. Last year a study by Johns Hopkins scientists warned that CBD inhibited the metabolism of THC, thus causing stronger and longer-lasting cannabis effects.
Additional studies focusing solely on high doses of CBD are underway, with preliminary results indicating no significant central nervous system activity from CBD alone.
Cover: AI generated image
