As the cannabidiol (CBD) craze continues in full swing, new benefits are being revealed all the time, some by accident and some through research. One such possible benefit is CBD may help tobacco smokers looking to quit. But what’s the evidence?
Preliminary reports support positive effects of CBD on smoking cessation. In one study, twenty-four tobacco smokers either received a CBD inhaler (400 mg) in place of their standard tobacco products or placebo (inactive control substance) for one week. While there was no difference in the amount of cigarettes smoked in the placebo group, the CBD-treated group showed an approximately 40% reduction.[1] The results of this study point to the possibility of CBD being a viable treatment for nicotine addiction.
An additional study’s findings echoed these results. Thirty tobacco smokers received 800 mg of oral CBD or a placebo. After a night without tobacco use, those in the CBD group rated the pleasantness of cigarettes lower than those in the placebo group; however, there was no difference in cravings for nicotine tobacco or withdrawal.[2] Taken together, these findings implicate a possible role of the endocannabinoid system in nicotine addiction; however, it’s important to note their short length of assessment. Of course, much more research has to be done to determine just how viable CBD may be.
That being said, these findings may generate further interest in CBD both as a tobacco substitute and inhalation as another method of medicating. While there are many methods of CBD consumption, inhalation may be a favorable route for those treating acute pain or anxiety for a quicker effect.
So if you are a smoker looking to quit, could CBD cigarettes help? Since the vaping crisis, many are turning to CBD pre-rolls to perhaps either cut down on tobacco consumption or explore an alternative administration method. It is hard to say how big of an impact CBD cigarette products will have on the tobacco substitute market but they certainly are growing in popularity.
One can find CBD cigarettes in a variety of places both online and in stores. It is recommended to do research beforehand to see if CBD cigarettes are the right choice if you are a regular smoker looking to quit.
Image Source: https://thefreshtoast.com/cannabis/5-things-about-cbd-cigarettes-you-should-know/
References
- Morgan CJ, et al. Cannabidiol reduces cigarette consumption in tobacco smokers: Preliminary findings. Addict Behav. 2013;38(9):2433-2436.
- Hindocha C, et al. Cannabidiol reverses attentional bias to cigarette cues in a human experimental model of tobacco withdrawal. Addiction. 2018;113(9):1696-1705.
