For decades, cannabis has been known as a drug that can cause addiction and several health problems. But in recent times, the benefits of different components in the plant including CBD are getting more acceptance in society. CBD is also known to have properties that can help to deal with addiction caused by alcohol, nicotine, etc.
Substances like alcohol and nicotine are highly addictive. So if a chronic user stops using these substances, the person will face withdrawal symptoms. Most of them will not be able to manage withdrawal symptoms and hence will start to use nicotine again.
In this article, we are discussing whether CBD can replace nicotine and help manage the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Can you use them together to slowly get off nicotine? Read below to find out.
CBD For Nicotine Addiction
Many people claim that CBD has helped them to get out of nicotine addiction. Researchers are studying more on this subject but as of now, we have very limited information on the topic. However, the interaction of CBD with the ECS of the body is known to be the reason for the therapeutic benefits of CBD.
Nicotine is addictive because it triggers dopamine production. When an addict stops using nicotine, the brain deprives dopamine, resulting in withdrawal symptoms. CBD on the other hand acts on receptors of the ECS, majorly CB1 and CB2 receptors. It makes the ECS make more anandamide, a hormone that can make you feel relaxed and happy. CBD acts like a substitute for nicotine but the plus point is that CBD does not cause addiction. It is believed that CBD could help with withdrawal symptoms of nicotine addiction like anxiety, irritation, stress, etc.
A Study On CBD And Nicotine
A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial was conducted on a group of 25 heavily nicotine-addicted individuals. They were divided into two groups and subjects in one group were provided with CBD vapes whereas individuals in the other group were provided with placebo-infused vapes. The researchers studied the anxiety levels of all subjects each day for a week. After 21 days, all members involved in the study were interviewed and the researchers found that the subjects in the CBD group reduced using nicotine by more than 40%. There was no significant improvement in members who belonged to the placebo group.