Abstract Accumulated evidence indicates that cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychotomimetic and nonaddictive main component of the Cannabis sativa plant, reverses anxiety-like behavior. The purpose of the present study was to assess the efficacy of CBD treatment for Japanese late teenagers with social anxiety disorder (SAD). Thirty-seven 18–19-year-old Japanese teenagers with SAD and avoidant personality disorder received, in a double-blind study, cannabis oil (n = 17) containing 300 mg CBD or placebo (n = 20) daily for 4 weeks. SAD symptoms were measured at the beginning and end of the treatment period using the Fear of Negative Evaluation Questionnaire and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale. CBD significantly decreased anxiety measured...

Abstract Generalized Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is one of the most common anxiety conditions with impairment in social life. Cannabidiol (CBD), one major non-psychotomimetic compound of the cannabis sativa plant, has shown anxiolytic effects both in humans and in animals. This preliminary study aimed to compare the effects of a simulation public speaking test (SPST) on healthy control (HC) patients and treatment-naïve SAD patients who received a single dose of CBD or placebo. A total of 24 never-treated patients with SAD were allocated to receive either CBD (600 mg; n=12) or placebo (placebo; n=12) in a double-blind randomized design 1 h and a half...

Please use this link to access this publication: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924977X15004204?via%3Dihub Abstract The cross-sectional association between cannabis use and anxiety disorders is well documented, yet less is known about the longitudinal association between the two. This study explored the association between cannabis use, cannabis use disorders (CUDs) and anxiety disorders in a 3-year prospective study. Data was drawn from waves 1 and 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety, panic disorder and specific phobias, were controlled for at baseline. Initiation of cannabis use was defined as any cannabis use by former lifetime abstainers in...

Please use this link to access this publication: https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/cannabis-and-anxiety-and-mood-disorders/ Abstract Objective: To systematically review studies examining the longitudinal associations between cannabis use and symptomatic outcomes among individuals with an anxiety or mood disorder at baseline. Data sources: A search of the literature up to May 2017 was conducted using several databases. Search terms related to the exposure (ie, cannabis) and outcome (ie, symptoms) variables of interest. There were no search restrictions. Study selection: In total, 10,191 citations were screened. Key inclusion criteria related to (1) cohort-based longitudinal study design using adults who met criteria for a mood or anxiety disorder at baseline, (2) an independent variable focusing on...

Abstract The potential therapeutic benefits of cannabinoid compounds have raised interest in understanding the molecular mechanisms that underlie cannabinoid-mediated effects. We previously showed that the acute amnesic-like effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) were prevented by the subchronic inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway. In the present study, we assess the relevance of the mTOR pathway in other acute and chronic pharmacological effects of THC. The rapamycin derivative temsirolimus, an inhibitor of the mTOR pathway approved by the Food and Drug Administration, prevents both the anxiogenic- and the amnesic-like effects produced by acute THC. In contrast, THC-induced anxiolysis, hypothermia, hypolocomotion, and antinociception are...

Abstract Biphasic effects of cannabinoids have been shown in processes such as feeding behavior, motor activity, motivational processes and anxiety responses. Using two different tests for the characterization of anxiety-related behavior (elevated plus-maze and holeboard), we first identified in wild-type C57BL/6N mice, two doses of the synthetic CB1 cannabinoid receptor agonist CP-55,940 with anxiolytic (1 μg/kg) and anxiogenic properties (50 μg/kg), respectively. To clarify the role of CB1 receptors in this biphasic effect, both doses were applied to two different conditional CB1 receptor knockout (KO) mouse lines, GABA-CB1-KO (CB1 receptor inactivation in forebrain GABAergic neurons) and Glu-CB1-KO (CB1 receptor inactivation in cortical glutamatergic neurons)....

Abstract Background: Preclinical data implicate the endocannabinoid system in the pathology underlying obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), while survey data have linked OCD symptoms to increased cannabis use. Cannabis products are increasingly marketed as treatments for anxiety and other OCD-related symptoms. Yet, few studies have tested the acute effects of cannabis on psychiatric symptoms in humans. Methods: We recruited 14 adults with OCD and prior experience using cannabis to enter a randomized, placebo-controlled, human laboratory study to compare the effects on OCD symptoms of cannabis containing varying concentrations of Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) on OCD symptoms to placebo. We used a within-subjects design to increase statistical power....

Please follow this link to access this publication: https://accp1.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.1552-4604.1981.tb02618.x?sid=nlm%3Apubmed Abstract The effects of single oral doses of nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid, were studied in eight anxious volunteer subjects. Each subject had two exposures to placebo and three dose levels of nabilone at one-week intervals in a single-blind balanced Latin-square design after the nabilone dose range was determined by each subject's response to a test dose. Heart rate and blood pressure were monitored. The Profile of Mood States (POMS), a self-rating adjective checklist, was used as the quantitative measure of subjective effects. Four subjects performed a continuous avoidance procedure. High doses (4 or 5 mg) of...

Please follow this link to access this publication: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395913001357?via%3Dihub Abstract Background: The authorized and unauthorized use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes (CTP) has increased dramatically in recent years, and physicians have called for further research to better clarify the parameters of effective and appropriate use. We report findings from a large cross-sectional study of the use of CTP in Canada and compare use across medical conditions and across authorized and unauthorized users. Methods: We examined cannabis use history, medical conditions and symptoms, patterns of current use of CTP, modes of access and perceived effectiveness among 628 self-selected Canadians consumers of CTP. Participants were recruited from medical cannabis...

Abstract Background Self-medication with drugs or alcohol is commonly reported among adults with mood or anxiety disorders, and increases the risk of developing substance use disorders. Medical marijuana laws (MML) may be associated with greater acceptance of the therapeutic value of marijuana, leading individuals to self-medicate. Methods The study utilized data from Wave 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (2004–2005). Participants were sampled from households in the general population and included adults with a mood or anxiety disorder in the past 12 months (n=7418), and the subset of those who used marijuana and no other drug (n=314). Weighted logistic...