CBD Did Not Alter Ayahuasca's Effects on Social Cognition or Safety in a Small Pilot Trial | Research

The takeaway

In a pilot RCT of 17 healthy volunteers, 600mg oral CBD given before ayahuasca did not change its effects on facial emotion recognition, empathy, or subjective experience, and the combination was well tolerated with mainly gastrointestinal side effects.

Psychedelic researchers, psychopharmacologists, clinicians studying novel anxiety treatments.

CBD (600mg) did not alter ayahuasca effects on emotion recognition or empathy

What the researchers found

No evidence of interactive effects between ayahuasca and CBD on emotion recognition or empathy tasks. Both groups showed similar reductions in reaction times and similar decreases in anxiety, sedation, and discomfort. The combination was well tolerated with mainly nausea and GI discomfort. No clinically significant cardiovascular or liver enzyme effects.

Why it matters

CBD is known to modulate the effects of THC, and this study tested whether it could similarly moderate ayahuasca, another psychoactive substance. The null finding is useful because it suggests CBD does not interfere with ayahuasca's potential therapeutic effects.

The numbers in context

N=17 healthy volunteers. CBD dose: 600mg oral. Ayahuasca: 1 ml/kg. Assessed at 4 timepoints over 7 days. No between-group differences on any primary or secondary outcome.

How the study worked

Pilot parallel-arm RCT. 17 healthy volunteers received placebo or 600mg oral CBD followed by ayahuasca (1 ml/kg) 90 minutes later. Assessed at baseline, 6.5 hours, 1 day, and 7 days post-intervention.

What this study cannot tell us

Very small sample (N=17). Pilot feasibility study not powered to detect subtle effects. Healthy volunteers only. Single dose of each substance. 1-week follow-up may be too short to detect longer-term interactions.

How to read the evidence

Very small pilot RCT in healthy volunteers. Primarily establishes safety and feasibility for future studies.

When this study was published

Published in 2023.

The bigger picture

Both ayahuasca and CBD are being investigated for anxiety disorders. The safety of their combination, shown here in a small sample, is relevant as patients may use both. The lack of interaction also suggests their mechanisms of action are sufficiently distinct.

Questions still open

Would higher CBD doses or repeated dosing interact with ayahuasca differently?
Could the CBD-ayahuasca combination be tested in clinical anxiety populations?

Common questions

Does CBD interact with ayahuasca?

In this small pilot trial, 600mg of CBD given before ayahuasca did not change its effects on social cognition, subjective experience, or safety.

Is combining CBD and ayahuasca safe?

In 17 healthy volunteers, the combination was well tolerated with mainly nausea and gastrointestinal discomfort, and no clinically significant cardiovascular or liver effects.

Read the original research

Interactive Effects of Ayahuasca and Cannabidiol in Social Cognition in Healthy Volunteers: A Pilot, Proof-of-Concept, Feasibility, Randomized-Controlled Trial.

Journal of clinical psychopharmacology, 43(4), 339-349

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Rossi, Giordano Novak; Rocha, Juliana Mendes; Osório, Flávia L; Bouso, José Carlos; Ona, Genis; Silveira, Gabriela de Oliveira; Yonamine, Mauricio; Bertozi, Giuliana; Crevelin, Eduardo José; Queiroz, Maria Eugênia; Crippa, José Alexandre S; Hallak, Jaime E Cecílio; Dos Santos, Rafael G. (2023). Interactive Effects of Ayahuasca and Cannabidiol in Social Cognition in Healthy Volunteers: A Pilot, Proof-of-Concept, Feasibility, Randomized-Controlled Trial.. Journal of clinical psychopharmacology, 43(4), 339-349. https://doi.org/10.1097/JCP.0000000000001691