CBD reduced nicotine withdrawal symptoms and anxiety during a 4-hour e-cigarette abstinence period

After controlling for positive CBD expectancies, 320 mg oral CBD reduced both nicotine withdrawal symptom severity and state anxiety during a 4-hour e-cigarette abstinence period compared to abstinence alone. Effects were consistent with hypotheses despite the open-label design.

Open-label crossover design with 20 daily nicotine e-cigarette users. Participants experienced 4-hour abstinence with and without 320 mg oral CBD on separate visits. Withdrawal severity and state anxiety measured. Analysis controlled for positive CBD expectancies.

With 8.1 million US adults using e-cigarettes and most wanting to quit, effective cessation aids are urgently needed. CBD's ability to reduce withdrawal and anxiety during abstinence could facilitate quit attempts if confirmed in larger trials.

If CBD can reduce the discomfort of nicotine withdrawal, it could complement existing cessation approaches. The anxiolytic effect may be particularly relevant since anxiety is a major driver of relapse in nicotine cessation attempts.

Open-label design. Very small sample (n=20). Single 4-hour abstinence period does not represent a real quit attempt. Cannot distinguish pharmacological effects from residual expectancy effects even after statistical control. No long-term follow-up.