The psychological and lifestyle benefits of CBD are rapidly percolating through the consciousness of ordinary folks as more and more of them try out the cannabis products.
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is related to marijuana and offers users similar benefits without the mind-altering high, making it more palatable for a wider audience. This is aided by the fact CBD is legal at the federal level as of last year, and users have since reported that it is an immense help with common mood and mental issues.
A recent report from the Chicago Tribune highlighted new scientific inquiries that seem to indicate CBD’s potential for combatting personality difficulties caused by aggression and aggressive tendencies. [1]
As one might imagine, problems and complications with aggression permeate our society — from newspaper and TV headlines to crime statistics and personal stories — and the outcomes have touched nearly everyone.
It is important to stress that the new findings are preliminary, as with much of the science around CBD this recent after its 2018 legalization. The study was performed on mice, so it may be some time before aggressive humans find their way into the lab. [1]
The analysis of CBD on a number of mice that faced fake “intruders” into their environment over the course of 10 days was published in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry. [1]
“Our study shows that cannabidiol can inhibit aggressiveness and that it does so by facilitating the activation of two receptors: the 5-HT1A receptor, responsible for the effects of the neurotransmitter serotonin, and the CB1 receptor, responsible for the effects of endocannabinoids,” said Study Lead Francisco Silveira Guimarães, according to the Chicago Tribune. [1]
According to the study, the name of the condition that seems to be eased by CBD use in mice is “isolation-induced aggression or territorial aggression.” [2]
“Taken together, our findings suggest that CBD may be therapeutically useful to treat aggressive behaviors that are usually associated with psychiatric disorders,” the study found. [2]
Aggression is not the only area where CBD has shown promise. Related to aggression, anxiety is an area that has also shown preliminary treatment possibilities through CBD use.
"Drugs can be non-psychoactive and still have an effect on the brain," psychiatrist and researcher at New York University Dr. Esther Blessing told NPR. "CBD does have an effect on the brain, but it seems to affect the brain in possibly medicinal ways.” [3]
NPR reports that scientists have seen some promise in treating anxiety problems. [3]
"I think there's good evidence to suggest that CBD could be an effective treatment of anxiety and addiction" and other disorders, Blessing said. "But we need clinical trials to find out.” [3]
Sources
[2] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0278584618308340?via%3Dihub
