A translational review of CBD research found evidence for therapeutic potential across epilepsy, anxiety, psychosis, substance abuse, depression, and neurodegenerative conditions, with clinical trials underway.
Read this if you want a broad overview of what CBD research has found across multiple health conditions.
CBD shows therapeutic potential across 10+ neuropsychiatric conditions without psychoactive effects
What the researchers found
Brazilian researchers who have been at the forefront of CBD research reviewed the translational evidence, from basic science to clinical application, for CBD across multiple neuropsychiatric conditions.
The most established properties of CBD include anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing), antipsychotic, and neuroprotective effects. These properties have been demonstrated in both preclinical models and human studies.
Beyond these core effects, evidence was accumulating for CBD's potential in epilepsy (where it was approaching FDA approval), substance abuse and dependence, schizophrenia, social phobia, PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, sleep disorders, and Parkinson's disease.
The review emphasized that CBD does not produce the typical subjective effects of marijuana, making it an attractive therapeutic candidate. Controlled clinical trials across these neuropsychiatric populations were underway at the time of publication, with results expected to support the translation of research findings to clinical practice.
Why it matters
CBD has emerged as one of the most promising therapeutic molecules from the cannabis plant, precisely because it lacks the psychoactive properties of THC. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the evidence base that has driven the rapid growth of CBD research and product development.
The numbers in context
Established CBD properties: anxiolytic, antipsychotic, neuroprotective. Conditions with emerging evidence: epilepsy, substance abuse, schizophrenia, social phobia, PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, sleep disorders, Parkinson's disease. Multiple controlled clinical trials underway.
How the study worked
Non-systematic review of studies dealing with therapeutic applications of CBD, with particular emphasis on research performed by Brazilian investigators who have contributed significantly to the field.
What this study cannot tell us
This is a non-systematic review with potential selection bias toward positive findings. Much of the evidence is preclinical. Clinical trial data were still forthcoming at the time of publication. The review does not critically assess the quality of individual studies. Dosing, formulation, and duration questions remain largely unanswered.
How to read the evidence
This is a non-systematic review covering evidence ranging from preclinical to clinical, with moderate overall evidence strength.
When this study was published
Published in 2018. CBD clinical trials have produced significant results since, particularly for epilepsy.
The bigger picture
CBD research represents one of the fastest-growing areas of pharmacological research. The breadth of conditions for which CBD shows potential reflects its multiple mechanisms of action, including but not limited to effects on serotonin receptors, adenosine reuptake, and TRPV1 channels. Unlike THC, CBD can be developed as a medicine without the regulatory and social complications of psychoactive substances.
Questions still open
- Which of the many proposed indications will prove most viable in clinical trials? What is the optimal dose range for different conditions? How do the anxiolytic and antipsychotic properties of CBD compare to existing medications in head-to-head trials?
Common questions
What conditions can CBD help with?
Does CBD get you high?
Read the original research
Translational Investigation of the Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol (CBD): Toward a New Age.
Frontiers in immunology, 9, 2009
Citation
Crippa, José A; Guimarães, Francisco S; Campos, Alline C; Zuardi, Antonio W. (2018). Translational Investigation of the Therapeutic Potential of Cannabidiol (CBD): Toward a New Age.. Frontiers in immunology, 9, 2009. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.02009
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