Montreal, Canada: The daily administration of CBD does not reduce either cravings for cocaine or the likelihood of relapse in subjects with a history of cocaine abuse, according to placebo-controlled data published in the journal Addiction.
A team of investigators at the University of Montreal assessed the daily administration of either 800mgs of CBD or placebo on drug-cue induced cravings for cocaine in a cohort of 78 adults with a history of moderate to severe cocaine abuse. Subjects in the study had previously undergone a 10-day detoxification period. They were then administered either CBD or placebo over a 12-week period.
By the end of the trial, a majority of subjects in both groups relapsed. Researchers reported: “In our study, the use of CBD was not more effective than a placebo in treating cocaine use disorder. Although it is safe and produces only mild side effects, it reduces neither the craving to use nor the risk of relapse after detoxification.”
The study’s findings differ from those of a pair of previously published longitudinal human trails reporting that the consumption of whole-plant cannabis is associated with a reduction in the use of crack cocaine among drug-dependent subjects. Other clinical trials specific to CBD have reported that the substance reduces cravings for heroin, tobacco, and cannabis.
Full text of the study, “Cannabidiol as a treatment for craving and relapse in individuals with cocaine use disorder: A randomized, placebo-controlled trial,” appears in Addiction.