CBD Reduces Nicotine Withdrawal Symptoms

The oral consumption of CBD is associated with less anxiety and fewer withdrawal symptoms in subjects with a history of daily nicotine use, according to trial data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

A team of researchers from the United States and Canada assessed the impact of CBD consumption (320 mg) on symptoms of nicotine withdrawal in 20 subjects. All of the subjects were daily consumers of e-cigarettes. Researchers assessed participants’ withdrawal symptoms with and without CBD four hours after their last e-cigarette exposure.

Subjects reported experiencing less anxiety and milder withdrawal symptoms when they consumed CBD than when they did not.

“This study provides preliminary evidence regarding the therapeutic potential of CBD in the context of e-cigarette use cessation, … suggesting CBD may reduce nicotine withdrawal symptom severity, including anxiety, during acute abstinence periods,” authors concluded.

Prior observational studies have identified a role for CBD in reducing subjects’ use of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis, NORML reported. Researchers have also suggested that CBD may improve clinical outcomes for patients engaged in opioid abuse treatment.

A recent analysis of US government survey data reveals that enacting state-level adult-use legalization laws is associated with slight reductions in the number of adults who report smoking cigarettes.