CBD Showed Antipsychotic Effects Comparable to Standard Medication With Fewer Side Effects
A critical review found that cannabidiol demonstrated antipsychotic properties in both animal and human studies, with one clinical trial showing efficacy comparable to amisulpride but with a side effect profile similar to placebo.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
This review examined the evidence for cannabidiol (CBD) as a potential antipsychotic medication. While THC is associated with increased psychosis risk, CBD appears to have the opposite effect.
In animal studies, CBD showed antipsychotic properties in rodents and rhesus monkeys, though results varied depending on the behavioral test used, treatment duration, and experimental conditions.
The most striking finding came from a randomized, double-blind controlled clinical trial in which CBD produced antipsychotic effects comparable to amisulpride (a standard antipsychotic medication) in patients with acute schizophrenia. The crucial difference was side effects: while amisulpride caused the typical antipsychotic side effects (weight gain, metabolic changes, movement disorders), CBD's side effect profile was similar to placebo.
The clinical improvement from CBD was significantly associated with elevated levels of anandamide, an endocannabinoid, suggesting CBD may work by boosting the body's own cannabinoid system rather than through direct receptor binding.
Key Numbers
One RCT showed CBD was comparable to amisulpride for antipsychotic efficacy. CBD's side effect profile was similar to placebo. Clinical improvement correlated with elevated anandamide levels.
How They Did This
Critical review of published literature including animal behavioral studies, individual case reports, and the first randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial of CBD for schizophrenia. The review examined both efficacy data and proposed mechanisms of action.
Why This Research Matters
Current antipsychotic medications all share a similar mechanism (dopamine receptor blockade) and come with significant side effects that lead many patients to stop taking them. CBD appears to work through an entirely different mechanism (endocannabinoid modulation) and demonstrated a dramatically better side effect profile, potentially offering the first mechanistically distinct antipsychotic in decades.
The Bigger Picture
The finding that a cannabis-derived compound could treat the same condition (psychosis) that another cannabis compound (THC) can trigger captures the complexity of the endocannabinoid system. If confirmed in larger trials, CBD could represent a paradigm shift in antipsychotic treatment by offering effective symptom control without the metabolic and neurological side effects that plague current medications.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Only one RCT existed at the time of this review. Animal study results were inconsistent across different experimental conditions. The mechanisms of CBD's antipsychotic action were not fully understood. The review was published before subsequent larger clinical trials could confirm or challenge the initial findings.
Questions This Raises
- ?Will CBD's antipsychotic efficacy hold up in larger, multi-center trials?
- ?What is the optimal dose and formulation of CBD for antipsychotic use?
- ?Could CBD be used as an adjunct to lower doses of standard antipsychotics, reducing side effects while maintaining efficacy?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- CBD matched amisulpride for antipsychotic efficacy with placebo-like side effects in first RCT.
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate evidence based on a critical review including one RCT and multiple preclinical studies. The clinical evidence is promising but from a single trial.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2016. Additional clinical trials of CBD for psychosis have since been conducted, with some supporting and others questioning these findings.
- Original Title:
- Cannabidiol as a Potential New Type of an Antipsychotic. A Critical Review of the Evidence.
- Published In:
- Frontiers in pharmacology, 7, 422 (2016)
- Authors:
- Rohleder, Cathrin(4), Müller, Juliane K, Lange, Bettina, Leweke, F M
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01253
Evidence Hierarchy
Summarizes existing research on a topic.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can CBD treat schizophrenia?
One clinical trial found CBD was as effective as a standard antipsychotic (amisulpride) with far fewer side effects. However, this was a single trial, and CBD has not been approved for this use. Additional research has produced mixed results.
How can CBD be antipsychotic when THC causes psychosis?
THC and CBD work through very different mechanisms. THC directly activates CB1 receptors, which can trigger psychotic symptoms in vulnerable people. CBD appears to boost the body's own endocannabinoid (anandamide), which may have a protective, antipsychotic function.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01253APA
Rohleder, Cathrin; Müller, Juliane K; Lange, Bettina; Leweke, F M. (2016). Cannabidiol as a Potential New Type of an Antipsychotic. A Critical Review of the Evidence.. Frontiers in pharmacology, 7, 422.
MLA
Rohleder, Cathrin, et al. "Cannabidiol as a Potential New Type of an Antipsychotic. A Critical Review of the Evidence.." Frontiers in pharmacology, 2016.
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabidiol as a Potential New Type of an Antipsychotic. A C..." RTHC-01253. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/rohleder-2016-cannabidiol-as-a-potential
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.