Although CBD has not been clearly linked to psychosis, where it is made with hemp flower, such as that found in kefir buds, it may contain 47.8% CBD and less than 0.3% THC. However, the benefit is limited to the positive symptoms of psychosis, such as hallucinations and delusions. CBD does not affect negative symptoms, such as affective flattening and mood alteration. It gives confidence in the antipsychotic potential of CBD by demonstrating that it targets the function of the brain regions involved in psychosis and indicates that even a single dose can improve some of the alterations in brain function that may be the basis of psychosis.
The two drugs led to similar significant reductions in positive and negative psychotic symptoms, but less EA was observed in the CBD group. As interest in the potential medical benefits of cannabis has grown, people are also paying more attention to the possibility that CBD could be useful in psychiatric settings. The study also showed that psychotic symptoms showed a decreasing trend after the dose of CBD, but the researchers stressed that no definitive conclusions could be drawn about this effect, since the study did not look at long-term use of CBD and the sample size was small. The only CBD formulation approved by the FDA is Epidiolex (GW Pharmaceuticals) to treat rare forms of epilepsy in children and adolescents; it is currently not available for use in schizophrenia.
The effects of CBD on the regulation of anandamide in different brain regions associated with the pathophysiology of schizophrenia could explain its antipsychotic action. The effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on cognition and symptoms in outpatients with chronic schizophrenia: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. CBD can be easily purchased in most parts of the United States, raising concerns about the use of artisanal, uncontrolled, cannabis-enriched CBD. For example, some second-generation antipsychotics, such as ziprasidone and aripiprazole, also activate 5-HT1A receptors, which may, at least in part (in addition to the absence of dopamine antagonism), explain the absence of extrapyramidal AA in CBD.
In 1982, a study on the interactions between THC and CBD in healthy volunteers provided the first evidence that CBD might have antipsychotic properties. The conclusion is that patients treated with CBD show a reduction in psychotic symptoms and an improvement in functional and cognitive abilities compared to those who received placebo. When we examine the effects of CBD as a supplement to conventional antipsychotic medications, we find modest improvements in cognition and the impact of patients' illness on their quality of life and overall functioning.
