Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug
Antônio Waldo Zuardi, José A. Crippa, Jaime E. C. Hallak, Fabrício A. Moreira, Francisco Silveira Guimarães
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research April 1, 2006 DOI: 10.1590/s0100-879x2006000400001 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Anxiety Cannabis CBD |
| Keywords | Anxiolytic Amisulpride Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Clozapine Atypical antipsychotic Cannabinoid Pharmacology Psychotomimetic Psychosis Nmda receptor |
| Citations | 411 |
| Key findings | Cannabidiol shows anxiolytic and antipsychotic-like properties and may be a safe alternative treatment for schizophrenia. |
Abstract
A high dose of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main Cannabis sativa (cannabis) component, induces anxiety and psychotic-like symptoms in healthy volunteers. These effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol are significantly reduced by cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabis constituent which is devoid of the typical effects of the plant. This observation led us to suspect that CBD could have anxiolytic and/or antipsychotic actions. Studies in animal models and in healthy volunteers clearly suggest an anxiolytic-like effect of CBD. The antipsychotic-like properties of CBD have been investigated in animal models using behavioral and neurochemical techniques which suggested that CBD has a pharmacological profile similar to that of atypical antipsychotic drugs. The results of two studies on healthy volunteers using perception of binocular depth inversion and ketamine-induced psychotic symptoms supported the proposal of the antipsychotic-like properties of CBD. In addition, open case reports of schizophrenic patients treated with CBD and a preliminary report of a controlled clinical trial comparing CBD with an atypical antipsychotic drug have confirmed that this cannabinoid can be a safe and well-tolerated alternative treatment for schizophrenia. Future studies of CBD in other psychotic conditions such as bipolar disorder and comparative studies of its antipsychotic effects with those produced by clozapine in schizophrenic patients are clearly indicated.
In the evidence
This study is part of the evidence base for 3 syntheses in the library. Here is how each one recorded it.
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Animal and healthy-volunteer studies suggest an anxiolytic-like effect of CBD, and CBD reduced THC-induced anxiety and psychotic-like symptoms.
Synthesized
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State of the evidence: CBD Supports
Reviews animal and human evidence suggesting CBD has anxiolytic-like and antipsychotic-like properties and may be a safe, well-tolerated alternative treatment for schizophrenia.
Synthesized
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State of the evidence: Cannabis Supports
Argues that cannabidiol has anxiolytic and antipsychotic-like properties and may be a safe, well-tolerated alternative treatment for schizophrenia, based on animal, healthy-volunteer, and preliminary clinical reports.
Synthesized
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on cannabis for anxiety, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitigation of post‐traumatic stress symptoms by Cannabis resin: A review of the clinical and neurobiological evidence 19-year-old male patient with severe PTSD | 2012 | Review | |
| Partydrogen im Überblick Party drug users | 2026 | Review | |
| The Use of Illicit Drugs in Therapy: an Introduction | 2023 | Review | |
| Cannabis and psychosis: is there a role for Cannabidiol in the treatment of psychosis in young cannabis users? | 2020 | Literature review | |
| The endocannabinoid system as a putative target for the development of novel drugs for the treatment of psychiatric illnesses. | 2023 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 48
- Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment Journal of Psychopharmacology October 5, 2012
- Distinct Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing Archives of General Psychiatry 2009
- Beyond THC: The New Generation of Cannabinoid Designer Drugs Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience 2011
- Acute Effects of a Single, Oral dose of d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Administration in Healthy Volunteers Current Pharmaceutical Design September 12, 2012
- Modulation of Mediotemporal and Ventrostriatal Function in Humans by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Archives of General Psychiatry April 1, 2009
and 43 more in the library
Cites 8
- Subanesthetic Effects of the Noncompetitive NMDA Antagonist, Ketamine, in Humans Archives of General Psychiatry March 1, 1994
- Cannabinoids in bipolar affective disorder: a review and discussion of their therapeutic potential. Journal of Psychopharmacology May 2005
- The psychotomimetic effects of intravenous delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in healthy individuals: implications for psychosis. Neuropsychopharmacology August 2004
- Different effects of nabilone and cannabidiol on binocular depth inversion in Man. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior May 2000
- Pharmacological characterization of cannabinoids in the elevated plus maze. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics June 1, 1990
and 3 more in the library