The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that there is no evidence of addiction potential associated with cannabidiol (CBD). While research is still in its early stages, current studies suggest that CBD consumption does not lead to addiction and may even have several health benefits. However, it is important to note that CBD can have some potential side effects. The WHO also suggests that CBD may be useful for treating conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. This allows users to listen to their bodies and understand the different effects that CBD can have on different people.
For instance, while research is still scarce and preliminary, studies have found that CBD shows promise in treating addiction to cocaine and methamphetamine. As a component of cannabis, CBD is still classified as a Schedule I controlled substance by the federal government, meaning it has a high potential for abuse. While these problems can be managed by taking a prescription drug under the supervision of a doctor, self-administered CBD could have the same harmful effects, mainly because it can be difficult to determine the amount of CBD that many products actually contain. A recent study conducted in New Zealand examined the use of CBD among 400 people with chronic pain and mental health issues. As for the consequences of possible abuse of this cannabinoid, according to the intracranial stimulation analyzed in mice, no adverse effects have been found due to the abuse of CBD.
While cannabidiol also interacts with the body's endocannabinoid system, it does not have the same intoxicating properties as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). According to experts, CBD does not produce the same effect as THC. As such, since CBD is not currently classified as its own substance (only as a component of cannabis extracts), current information does not justify a change in this classification position nor does it justify the classification of the substance. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which has repeatedly refused to update its stance on cannabis products despite the large and growing amount of evidence on the subject, is one of many agencies that will advise the WHO in its final review of CBD. Researchers reported that two-thirds of participants experienced at least a 25% reduction in seizure frequency while receiving treatment with CBD.
The increasing popularity of CBD has been driven in part by its purported mental health-improving properties. In fact, according to this and other reports, evidence suggests that CBD mitigates the effects of THC (whether it's joy or panic).
