Marijuana May Hold A Key

The main ingredient in marijuana, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can trigger psychotic episodes and worsen the symptoms of schizophrenia. This is a fact. But there is another substance found in marijuana, Cannabidiol (CBD), that may be a key to helping reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia with fewer side effect.

A research team led by Markus Leweke of the University of Cologne in Germany studied 39 people with schizophrenia who were hospitalized for a psychotic episode. Nineteen patients were treated with amisulpride, an antipsychotic medication that is not approved in the U.S., but is similar to other approved drugs. The remaining 20 patients were given CBD. Neither the patients nor the scientists knew who was receiving which drug. At the end of the four-week trial, both groups made significant clinical improvements in their schizophrenic symptoms, and there was no difference between those getting CBD or amisulpride.

 “The results were amazing,” said Daniel Piomelli, Ph.D., professor of pharmacology at the University of California-Irvine and a co-author of the study. “Not only was CBD as effective as standard antipsychotics, but it was also essentially free of the typical side effects seen with antipsychotic drugs.”

That is a huge point since one of the reasons people stop taking their medication is because the severe side effects are so discouraging.

“The real problem with CBD is that it’s hard to develop for a variety of silly reasons,” said Piomelli. Since it comes from marijuana, there are obvious political issues surrounding its use. Extracting it from the plant is also expensive.

Researchers are working to develop synthetic versions of CBD that would avoid such hurdles.

The study is published online in the journal Translational Psychiatry.