Cannabidiol Protects Against Cocaine-Induced Seizures, Says National Institute of Health Study
Cannabidiol (CBD), a major non-psychotomimetic constituent of the cannabis plant, protects against cocaine-induced seizures, according to a study published by the U.S. National Institute of Health, and published in print by the journal Neurotoxicology.
“[Cannabidiol] has therapeutic potential for certain psychiatric and neurological disorders”, states the study’s researchers. “Studies in laboratory animals and limited human trials indicate that CBD has anticonvulsant and neuroprotective properties. Its effects against cocaine neurotoxicity, however, have remained unclear.”
Thus, the present study “tested the hypothesis that CBD protects against cocaine-induced seizures and investigated the underlying mechanisms.”
Researchers found that “CBD (30mg/kg) pre-treatment increased the latency and reduced the duration of cocaine (75mg/kg)-induced seizures in mice. The CB1 receptor antagonist, AM251 (1 and 3mg/kg), and the CB2 receptor antagonist, AM630 (2 and 4mg/kg), failed to reverse this protective effect, suggesting that alternative mechanisms are involved.”
The study concludes by saying that “CBD protects against seizures in a model of cocaine intoxication”, and that “CBD should be further investigated as a strategy for alleviating psychostimulant toxicity.”
The study, conducted by researchers at the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and the Universidade de São Paulo, can be found by clicking here.
– TheJointBlog