Action of cannabidiol on the anxiety and other effects produced by delta 9-THC in normal subjects.
A W Zuardi, I Shirakawa, E Finkelfarb, I G Karniol
Psychopharmacology 1982 DOI: 10.1007/bf00432554 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Double-blind experiment Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8 |
| Population | Normal volunteers |
| Interventions | delta 9-THC cannabidiol (CBD) placebo diazepam |
| Dose | 0.5 mg/kg delta 9-THC, 1 mg/kg CBD, 10 mg diazepam |
| Topics | Anxiety Cannabis CBD |
| Key findings | CBD blocked the anxiety provoked by delta 9-THC, but also reduced marijuana-like and other subjective effects of delta 9-THC. The antagonism did not appear to be a general block of delta 9-THC effects, since pulse-rate measurements were unchanged. The authors suggest CBD's opposite effects may be involved in the antagonism between the two cannabinoids. |
Abstract
The object of the experiment was to verify whether cannabidiol (CBD) reduces the anxiety provoked by delta 9-THC in normal volunteers, and whether this effect occurs by a general block of the action of delta 9-THC or by a specific anxiolytic effect. Appropriate measurements and scales were utilized and the eight volunteers received, the following treatments in a double-blind procedure: 0.5 mg/kg delta 9-THC, 1 mg/kg CBD, a mixture containing 0.5 mg/kg delta 9-THC and 1 mg/kg CBD and placebo and diazepam (10 mg) as controls. Each volunteer received the treatments in a different sequence. It was verified that CBD blocks the anxiety provoked by delta 9-THC, however this effect also extended to marihuana-like effects and to other subjective alterations induced by delta 9-THC. This antagonism does not appear to be caused by a general block of delta 9-THC effects, since no change was detected in the pulse-rate measurements. Several further effects were observed typical of CBD and of an opposite nature to those of delta 9-THC. These results suggest that the effects of CBD, as opposed to those of delta 9-THC, might be involved in the antagonism of effects between the two cannabinoids.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on cannabis for anxiety, most cited first.