Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug
Antônio Waldo Zuardi, J.a.s. 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 via OpenAlex
Summary
A high dose of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the main psychoactive component of cannabis, induces anxiety and psychotic-like symptoms in healthy volunteers, and these effects are significantly reduced by cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabis constituent without typical cannabis effects. Studies in animal models and healthy volunteers suggest an anxiolytic-like effect of CBD. Its antipsychotic-like properties have been investigated in animal models and supported by studies on healthy volunteers using binocular depth inversion and ketamine-induced psychotic symptoms. Open case reports and a preliminary controlled clinical trial indicate that CBD may be a safe, well-tolerated alternative treatment for schizophrenia. Future studies in other psychotic conditions are indicated.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Anxiety Cannabis |
| Keywords | Anxiolytic Amisulpride Schizophrenia object-oriented programming |
| Citations | 411 |
| Key finding | 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.