Cannabis Essential Oil: A Preliminary Study for the Evaluation of the Brain Effects
Nadia Gulluni, Tania Simona Re, Idalba Loiacono, Giovanni Lanzo, Luigi Gori, Claudio Macchi, Francesco Epifani, Nicola Luigi Bragazzi, Fabio Firenzuoli
Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine 2018 DOI: 10.1155/2018/1709182 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 5 |
| Population | Healthy volunteers |
| Intervention | THC <0.2% w/v) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Citations | 61 |
| Key findings | Inhaling legal hemp essential oil in five healthy volunteers was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure, higher heart rate, warmer skin, and self-reported feelings of being more energetic, relaxed, and calm. EEG showed increased alpha mean frequency, reduced beta 2 mean frequency and relative power, and greater theta, alpha, and delta activity in posterior brain regions. The authors suggest these changes indicate neuromodulatory activity relevant to stress, depression, and anxiety. |
Abstract
We examined the effects of essential oil from legal (THC <0.2% w/v) hemp variety on the nervous system in 5 healthy volunteers. GC/EIMS and GC/FID analysis of the EO showed that the main components were myrcene and β‐caryophyllene. The experiment consisted of measuring autonomic nervous system (ANS) parameters; evaluations of the mood state; and electroencephalography (EEG) recording before treatment, during treatment, and after hemp inhalation periods as compared with control conditions. The results revealed decreased diastolic blood pressure, increased heart rate, and significant increased skin temperature. The subjects described themselves as more energetic, relaxed, and calm. The analysis EEG showed a significant increase in the mean frequency of alpha (8–13 Hz) and significant decreased mean frequency and relative power of beta 2 (18,5–30 Hz) waves. Moreover, an increased power, relative power, and amplitude of theta (4–8 Hz) and alpha brain waves activities and an increment in the delta wave (0,5–4 Hz) power and relative power was recorded in the posterior region of the brain. These results suggest that the brain wave activity and ANS are affected by the inhalation of the EO of Cannabis sativa suggesting a neuromodular activity in cases of stress, depression, and anxiety.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoked Cannabis' Psychomotor and Neurocognitive Effects in Occasional and Frequent Smokers Occasional (<2x/week) and frequent (≥4x/week) cannabis smokers | 2015 | Controlled within-subjects study | n = 25 |
| Dissociable effects of cannabis with and without cannabidiol on the human brain’s resting-state functional connectivity Healthy volunteers experienced with cannabis but not regular users | 2019 | Within-subjects experimental design | n = 17 |
| Which biological and self-report measures of cannabis use predict cannabis dependency and acute psychotic-like effects? Young cannabis users | 2018 | Observational study (naturalistic, within-subject counterbalanced design) | n = 410 |
| Coming off cannabis: a cognitive and magnetic resonance imaging study in patients with multiple sclerosis Patients with multiple sclerosis who began using cannabis after disease onset, used it... | 2019 | Quasi-experimental study with odd-even allocation | n = 40 |
| Cannabis-induced altered states of consciousness are associated with specific dynamic brain connectivity states Healthy occasional cannabis users (smoking cannabis ≤2 per week) | 2019 | Repeated-measures, within-subjects design | n = 19 |
Citations in the library
Cites 3
- EEG source imaging during two Qigong meditations. Cognitive Processing August 2012
- Impact of regular meditation practice on EEG activity at rest and during evoked negative emotions. International Journal of Neuroscience June 2005
- Changes in EEG and autonomic nervous activity during meditation and their association with personality traits. International Journal of Psychophysiology February 1, 2005