Treatment with 800 mg/day CBD prevented the decrease in anandamide levels seen in the placebo group during cannabis cessation, though changes were not linked to clinical outcomes.
Addiction medicine researchers, endocannabinoid system scientists, and clinical trial designers for CUD treatments.
800 mg/day effectiveCBD maintained anandamide levels during cannabis cessation while placebo group levels decreased significantly
What the researchers found
Anandamide levels unexpectedly decreased in the placebo group during cannabis cessation but were maintained by 800 mg/day CBD. The 400 mg dose had no significant effect. Changes in anandamide were not associated with clinical outcomes.
Why it matters
Understanding how CBD affects the endocannabinoid system could explain its therapeutic potential for cannabis use disorder and inform optimal dosing strategies.
The numbers in context
70 participants with CUD randomized: placebo (n=23), 400 mg CBD (n=24), 800 mg CBD (n=23). Placebo group anandamide decreased by -0.048 (95% CI [-0.089, -0.007]). 800 mg group showed no change (0.005, 95% CI [-0.036, 0.047]).
How the study worked
Secondary analysis of a 28-day randomized clinical trial of CBD for cannabis use disorder, measuring plasma anandamide levels at baseline and day 28, with and without adjustment for ongoing cannabis use.
Who was studied
70 individuals with cannabis use disorder attempting cessation, randomized to placebo, 400 mg, or 800 mg CBD daily.
What this study cannot tell us
Small sample size. Plasma anandamide may not reflect brain levels. The clinical significance of maintained anandamide levels is unclear since changes were not associated with outcomes. Secondary analysis.
How to read the evidence
Secondary analysis of a small randomized trial; preliminary mechanistic evidence requiring larger studies.
When this study was published
Recent clinical trial data on CBD for cannabis use disorder.
The bigger picture
This study provides preliminary mechanistic evidence for how CBD may support cannabis cessation by maintaining endocannabinoid tone, though the disconnect between biomarker and clinical changes suggests more complex mechanisms are at play.
Replication
Small secondary analysis; larger studies needed to confirm mechanism and clinical relevance.
Funding
Not specified in abstract
Conflicts of interest
Not specified in abstract
Questions still open
- Would higher CBD doses show stronger anandamide maintenance and clinical effects?
- Is anandamide the right biomarker for CBD therapeutic mechanism in CUD?
Read the original research
Effects of cannabidiol on anandamide levels in individuals with cannabis use disorder: findings from a randomised clinical trial for the treatment of cannabis use disorder.
Translational psychiatry, 13(1), 131
Citation
Hua, Daniel Ying-Heng; Hindocha, Chandni; Baio, Gianluca; Lees, Rachel; Shaban, Natacha; Morgan, Celia J; Mofeez, Ali; Curran, H Valerie; Freeman, Tom P. (2023). Effects of cannabidiol on anandamide levels in individuals with cannabis use disorder: findings from a randomised clinical trial for the treatment of cannabis use disorder.. Translational psychiatry, 13(1), 131. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02410-9