Clinical Research

General Safety and Interest

• CBD has been shown in various clinical studies to be well tolerated with a wide safety margin in human subjects. 
  University of Calgary, Canada
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3763649/
  

  Hurd,Yasmin, Ph.D.

  https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01605539
  
  
  
• CBD is currently a medical research focus because it shows promise for treating anxiety and other brain disorders, but does not produce a 'high' like other parts of cannabis, has not been shown to be addictive, and is safe, with few or no side effects.
  
  New York University School of Medicine
  https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01605539
  
  
• Chronic cannabis use does not produce serious cognitive disorders, as occurs with other substances like alcohol, but it can aggravate pre-existing mental disease. Therefore, treatment with cannabinoid receptor agonist with central actions may be contraindicated, or either rigorously controlled, in individuals predisposed to psychiatric disorders. No human deaths associated to cannabis use have been reported...
  The Instituto de Neurociencieas de Alicante
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430692/
  
  
• CBD does exhibit immunosuppressive properties. In particular, CBD decreased IL-8 and the chemokines MIP-1α and MIP-1β from a human B cell line. CBD has also been shown to suppress collagen-induced arthritis, and carrageenan-induced inflammation. Importantly, CBD has been efficacious in combination with THC in treating neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease.
  Center for Integrative Toxicology and Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2748879/

Lethal Dose Comparisons (LD50)

Here are some interesting comparisons to common medicines and other illicit substances.

LD50 = is a measure of the lethal dose of a toxin, radiation, or pathogen. The value of LD₅₀ for a substance is the dose required to kill half the members of a tested population. These examples are based on a 150lb at once.

Anxiety

• Both preclinical and clinical studies indicate that CBD may act to reduce anxiety without excessive sedative side-effects.
  University of Chicago
  https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02902081
  
  
•  CBD reduced anxiety associated with a simulated public speaking test in healthy subjects, and in subjects with SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder), showing a comparable efficacy to ipsapirone (a 5-HT_1AR agonist) or diazepam.
  New York University School of Medicine
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4604171/
  School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21307846
  
  
• Acute administration of CBD can reduce subjective anxiety in patients clinically diagnosed with an anxiety disorder.
  
  University of São Paulo
  https://www.theroc.us/researchlibrary/Neural%20basis%20of%20anxiolytic%20effects%20of%20cannabidiol%20(CBD)%20in%20generalized%20social%20anxiety%20disorder-%20a%20preliminary%20report.pdf

Addiction

• Researchers found that treatment with 80 mg/kg of cannabidiol — but not smaller doses of 40 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg — reduced the motivation to consume methamphetamine in rats trained to self-administer the addictive stimulant.
  Journal of Psychopharmacology
  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0269881118799954
  
  
• Using a strategy of indirectly regulating neural systems to modulate opioid-related behavior, rodent studies have consistently demonstrated that cannabidiol (CBD) specifically inhibit cue-induced heroin-seeking behavior.  
  Hurd,Yasmin, Ph.D.
  https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01605539
  
  
  
• CBD reduced the effects of drug seeking without tolerance, sedative effects, or interference with normal motivated behavior.  
  The Scripps Research Institute
  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-018-0050-8
  
  
• A pilot, randomised double blind placebo controlled study showed those treated with CBD significantly reduced the number of cigarettes smoked by ~ 40% during treatment.
  University College London
  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030646031300083X
  
  
• Evidence from animal models and clinical studies suggests that the negative emotion caused by PTSD symptoms intensifies craving for alcohol during alcohol withdrawal, perpetuating the addictive cycle of alcohol use disorder (AUD); further, evidence shows that the brain circuits underlying negative emotion and addiction are linked in a forebrain area called the extended amygdala, which provides a neuropharmacological target to simultaneously treat both negative emotion and alcohol addiction in individuals with AUD and PTSD. CBD is known to inhibit brain activity in the extended amygdala, leading to reduced anxiety in both animal models and humans. CBD also reduces addictive alcohol seeking in animal models.
  
  New York University School of Medicine
  https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01605539

Schizophrenia

• Findings suggest that CBD has beneficial effects in patients with schizophrenia. As CBD's effects do not appear to depend on dopamine receptor antagonism, this agent may represent a new class of treatment for the disorder.
  American Psychiatric Association
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29241357
  

• Several studies indicate that the human endogenous cannabinoid system is significantly involved in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and that cannabidiol is effective in treating acute psychotic symptoms of schizophrenic patients. 
  University of Cologne
  https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00309413

• Cannabidiol has been shown to exert antipsychotic effects similar to those of one of the most effective modern antipsychotics, amisulpride, but it induced significantly less side effects.
  
  Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim
  https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02051387
  
  
• There is evidence that CB1 antagonists such as SR141716 and cannabidiol have antipsychotic effects comparable to those of classic neuroleptic drugs
  University of Cologne

  https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00628290

Epilepsy and Seizures

• Among patients with the Dravet syndrome, cannabidiol resulted in a greater reduction in convulsive-seizure frequency than placebo and was associated with higher rates of adverse events. 
  GW Pharmaceuticals 
  https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1611618
  https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02091375
  
  
• Among patients with the Dravet syndrome, cannabidiol resulted in a greater reduction in convulsive-seizure frequency than placebo and was associated with higher rates of adverse events.
  New England Journal of Medicine
  https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1611618#t=article
  
  
  
• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Epidiolex (cannabidiol) [CBD] oral solution for the treatment of seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, in patients two years of age and older. 
  U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
  https://www.fda.gov/newsevents/newsroom/pressannouncements/ucm611046.htm

Pain Management

• Cannabidiol (CBD) is another major constituent of the Cannabis sativa plant, having the same therapeutic effects than THC (analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and others), but with a different pharmacologic profile. Studies have been made with cannabidiol derivatives developed to inhibit peripheral pain responses and inflammation after binding to cannabinoid receptors.
  The Instituto de Neurociencieas de Alicante
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2430692/
  
  
• Evidence to suggest that glycinergic cannabinoids are ideal therapeutic agents in the treatment of inflammatory and neuropathic pain.
• CBD significantly reduces inflammation in mice and rats.
  Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and Chemical Biological Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3371734/
  
  
• Cannabidiol and O-1602 showed anti-inflammatory effects in mice with AP and improved the expression of GPR55 in the pancreatic tissue as well.
  Tongji University School of Medicine
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22850623
  
  

Headaches / Migraines

• A study to describe the effects of medical marijuana on the monthly frequency of migraine headache showed  the frequency of migraine headache was decreased.
  University of Colorado 
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26749285
  
  

Gastrointestinal tract

• The endocannabinoid system is ubiquitously expressed throughout the rodent and human body and serves a multitude of physiological roles, including the regulation of gastrointestinal function. Activating cannabinoid receptors within the gut inhibits peristalsis and gastric acid secretion and enhances food intake.
  University of California, Riverside
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4940133/

Cancer

• Data suggest that cannabidiol rather than Cannabis sativa crude extracts prevent cell growth and induce cell death in cervical cancer cell lines.
  North-West University, South Africa
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5009497/

Pet Research

Dogs

• Clinical study suggests that 2 mg/kg of CBD twice daily can help increase comfort and activity in dogs with OA
  Cornell University, New York
  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6065210/

Educational Videos on the Science of CBD