In a recent study by the Scripps Research Institute, a team of scientists led by Friedbert Weiss conducted research to determine the effect of CBD on rats addicted to cocaine and alcohol. The results are encouraging.
The study found that rats with cocaine and alcohol addiction were less likely to relapse when given CBD. This was true even when the rats were placed in circumstances designed to increase their stress and anxiety levels — a known trigger for relapse in humans.
The researchers used a gel containing CBD which was applied to the skin of rats daily for seven days. These rats had a history of addiction-like behavior in which they regularly and voluntarily consumed alcohol or cocaine. The team performed various tests to see how the animals reacted to stressful and anxiety-provoking situations. They also tested their levels of impulsivity — a psychological trait that may lead to drug addiction. The results showed that CBD effectively reduced stress relapse along with reducing anxiety and impulsivity. Furthermore, while the brains and blood of the rats were clear of CBD within three days of stopping the gel application, the beneficial results of the CBD appear to have lasted much longer. In fact, after five months the animals that had been treated with CBD still showed a reduction in relapse. In a press release, Weiss said “Drug addicts enter relapse vulnerability states for multiple reasons. Therefore, effects such as these observed with CBD that concurrently ameliorate several of these are likely to be more effective in preventing relapse than treatments targeting only a single state.”
“These results could be a game-changer for people struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. If further research supports these initial findings, and the results can be replicated in humans, CBD may be able to help addicts stay sober even when they are coping with stress or anxiety. CBD may also offer long-lasting benefits with only brief treatment.”