The data from two placebo-controlled, double-blind studies suggest that CBD seems to buffer against some acute effects on the brain with THC. According to study outcomes published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, more significant strains containing more CBD may be less harmful.
“One of the most interesting things we found was that some cannabinoids work better than others when it comes to influencing brain function.”
The study, published in Journal Nature Scientific Reports, looked at how different types of Cannabis affected neurons within our brains (the cells responsible for information processing). “This may help us understand more about why certain patients respond well,” said lead author Matt Wall from Invicro Ltd.”
The study found that high-strength Cannabis was more dangerous and caused problems like addiction or psychosis in long-term users. Understanding the effects of different cannabinoids on our brain is essential for developing therapeutic uses, but further research must be done to understand better how they work together within the human body.
The researchers were interested in determining how cannabinoids affect the functional connectivity of the brain area that is crucial for controlling movement and processing reward-related information. This includes a region called the striatum, which has been linked to addiction, mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, and symptoms associated with recovering drug addicts who stop taking drugs after recovering from addiction.
Wall and his colleagues have been using data from a study that was conducted previously, in which researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the brain activity of 17 healthy volunteers after taking cannabis strains containing both THC and CBD. They also researched this topic by measuring 23 people’s brains with oral doses of Placebo or Full spectrum cannabidiol oil capsules without any added substances such as terpenes – just pure pharmaceutical grade cannabinoids found within medical Cannabis plants.
The study found that CBD without THC had the opposite effect on functional connectivity compared to when high-THC Cannabis is consumed. Still, oral CBD without THC was found to increase striatum connectivity. In addition, the cannabis strain containing both THC and CBD decreased striatum connectivity to a lesser extent than the THC-only cannabis strain.
The research found that “different types of cannabis affect the brain differently,” Wall told PsyPost. “High-strength, pure-THC cannabis can affect some brain networks severely, but when cannabidiol (CBD) is combined with THC in a more ‘balanced’ way, these effects may be reduced, making a balanced strain of CBD and THC potentially safer to use. In addition, CBD by itself seems to have quite minimal effects on the brain networks we looked at, which means it’s probably safe for use as a potential therapy.”
The latest cannabis research has confirmed previous insights. For instance, the high-THC strain apparently impairs functional connectivity in our brain’s default mode and salience networks, while the THC and CBD strain causes minimal disruption to these regions; scientists are still learning more about how Cannabis impacts certain parts of our brain.
Wall added, “Understanding the effects of different Cannabinoids is vital to ensure that people have the best information about the cannabis they use and can make well-informed choices.”
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