Study: Cannabidiol Induces ‘Rapid-Acting Antidepressant-Like Effects’
Cannabidiol (CBD) – a compound found in the cannabis plant – induces “rapid-acting antidepressant-like effects”, according to a new study being published in the April issue of the journal Neuropharmacology.
“Cannabidiol (CBD), the main non-psychotomimetic component of marihuana, exhibits anxiolytic-like properties in many behavioural tests, although its potential for treating major depression has been poorly explored”, begins the study’s abstract. “Moreover, the mechanism of action of CBD remains unclear. Herein, we have evaluated the effects of CBD following acute and chronic administration in the olfactory bulbectomy mouse model of depression (OBX), and investigated the underlying mechanism.”
In conducting the study, researchers found that; “In vivo microdialysis revealed that the administration of CBD significantly enhanced serotonin and glutamate levels in vmPFCx in a different manner depending on the emotional state and the duration of the treatment. The potentiating effect upon neurotransmitters levels occurring immediately after the first injection of CBD might underlie the fast antidepressant-like actions in OBX mice”.
The study concludes by stating: “[O]ur findings indicate that CBD could represent a novel fast antidepressant drug, via enhancing both serotonergic and glutamate cortical signalling through a 5-HT1A receptor-dependent mechanism.”
The full study can be found by clicking here.