Researchers explore antipsychotic effects of CBD

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A study will dive into how CBD works on the brain to influence decisions

As opposed to one of the most widespread beliefs that has been slowly changing and that accuses cannabis of causing psychotic episodes to manifest, a new study is doing research that suggests otherwise. King’s College London just announced that, for the first time, a team of investigators has collected images of patients’ brains with psychosis episodes who were under the influence of cannabidiol (CBD). Based on what the study suggests, CBD seems to have the potential of antipsychotic effects, suggesting the importance of setting up clinical trials for further confirmation.

While several attributed benefits to CBD have not been proven yet through clinical studies, the antipsychotic effects of this compound have been well-researched, and it continues to be an intriguing topic. Back in 2017, a trial was done by King’s College researchers and a benefit was found for patients suffering from schizophrenia. This condition also manifests with episodes of psychosis, nevertheless, the exact mechanism is yet to be understood.

This new brain imaging offers the possibility to get the insights to understand how CBD can influence a brain in an individual with psychosis. During this investigation,13 patients had their brains scanned to obtain an image two times. Without any disclosure, the patients took both a controlled placebo and an actual dose of CBD. Also, there was a third group of healthy people whose brains were also scanned with no drug administration to offer a sensible source of comparison.

“This study provides important insight into the brain mechanisms behind the antipsychotic effects of CBD,” explains senior author on the study, Sagnik Bhattacharyya. “It gives confidence in the antipsychotic potential of CBD by demonstrating that it targets the function of brain regions implicated in psychosis and indicating that even a single dose may ameliorate some of the brain function alterations that may underlie psychosis.”