Schizophrenia Article

Exploring the Relationship Between Cannabidiol and Psychosis

Source: 
https://www.psychiatrictimes.com

Link: 
https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/exploring-relationship-between-cannabidiol-psychosis

Article Summary:
Research has been conducted on CBD and its potential use for neuropsychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, anxiety, Parkinson disease, depression, and dystonia, as well as for diseases and conditions that involve other organs and systems, such as inflammation, immune response, ischemia, diabetes, cancer, and many others. Most of this are preclinical studies in laboratory animals.  The only CBD formulation approved by the FDA is Epidiolex (GW Pharmaceuticals) to treat rare forms of epilepsy in children and adolescents; it is not currently available for use in schizophrenia. Although there are controlled good laboratory and manufacturing practices, and purified synthetic analogues for CBD exist, further safety and efficacy studies are needed.  CBD can be easily purchased throughout most of the United States, which raises concerns about the use of handcrafted, uncontrolled, cannabis-enriched CBD. However, there are well-known harmful long-term effects of THC on the developing brain, cognitive impairments associated with cannabis, and worsening of psychotic symptoms and antipsychotic response, particularly in younger patients. Therefore, well-designed RCTs with larger patient samples, using high-quality and reliable CBD, are needed to ascertain the effectiveness and safety of CBD as an antipsychotic medication and to ultimately receive FDA approval for use in schizophrenia.