Could a Passionflower Compound Help with Cannabis Withdrawal?

This was an animal study in which mice received THC (10 mg/kg twice daily for 6 days) either alone or with concurrent benzoflavone from Passiflora incarnata (10 or 20 mg/kg twice daily). Cannabinoid withdrawal was precipitated on day 7 using SR-141716A (10 mg/kg). Locomotor activity, paw tremors, and head shakes were measured as withdrawal indicators.

At the time of this study, there were no pharmacological treatments for cannabis withdrawal. The finding that a compound from a traditionally used medicinal plant could reduce both tolerance development and withdrawal symptoms in an animal model represented a novel therapeutic approach grounded in ethnobotanical knowledge.

Cannabis withdrawal is now recognized in the DSM-5, but effective pharmacological treatments remain limited. The approach of looking to traditional medicinal plants for withdrawal treatments has not been widely pursued in clinical settings. This study remains one of relatively few to explore plant-based compounds for cannabis withdrawal, though the findings have not progressed to human clinical trials.

Animal models of cannabis withdrawal do not directly replicate human withdrawal experiences. The doses of THC used were high relative to typical human consumption. The mechanism of action of the benzoflavone compound was not elucidated. No human studies have tested this approach. The six-day dependence induction period was very short.