January 14, 2022

Authors: 
Lucas Elms, Scott Shannon, Shannon Hughes, and Nicole Lewis.

 

Background: 
In the US Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has a lifetime prevalence of 6.1%, making it a relatively common condition. In addition to anxiety, PTSD is characterized by re-experiencing traumatic events, avoidance of distressing factors, and alterations in mood, arousal, and cognition. There is accumulating evidence that CBD reduces anxiety, as well as other symptoms seen in PTSD.


Who was it? 
Eleven adult subjects with PTSD (eight female and three male) who were seeking outpatient psychiatric care for PTSD. Seventy three percent of the subjects were also receiving psychotherapy for their condition.


What was done? 
Four subjects took CBD as an oral capsule, one took CBD as an oral spray, and six took CBD in both oral capsule and spray forms. Capsules contained 25mg CBD while the oral spray contained 1.5mg CBD per spray. Subjects took CBD once or twice per day depending on symptoms for eight weeks. Four subjects continued to take CBD for 36 weeks.


What happened? 
The mean intake of CBD over the course of the eight weeks was 44.64mg per day. After four weeks of CBD treatment, ten of eleven of subjects reported a decrease in PTSD symptoms. After eight weeks, ten subjects had reduced PTSD symptoms relative to baseline, although three had experienced a slight worsening from their four-week scores. CBD was well tolerated by all subjects. The four subjects who took CBD for 36 weeks experienced a reduction in PTSD severity score from 57.75 to 29.25.


Fringe Commentary:
There is a strong physiological basis and an accumulating body of evidence to support the use of CBD in the treatment of mental health conditions, and this study adds to the research indicating that CBD reduces symptoms of PTSD.


Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6482919/pdf/acm.2018.0437.pdf

About the Author Dr. Genevieve Newton

Dr. Genevieve Newton, DC, PhD has spent the past 19 years as a researcher and educator in the field of nutritional sciences. A series of personal health crises led her to discover the benefits of cannabinoids, and she soon found herself engrossed in studying the endocannabinoid system and therapeutic applications of cannabis/cannabinoids in mental health, pain, sleep, and neurological disorders. She has recently taken a position as the Scientific Director at Fringe, a new medical CBD and education company.

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