Can CBD Help You Quit Smoking?
Cannabidiol can be a great ally to fight nicotine addiction and quit smoking.
Tobacco addiction is a global health problem. According to data provided by the World Health Organization, tobacco is the main cause of preventable deaths around the planet. Tobacco addiction is not only physical but also psychological, and is mediated by a specific pattern of behaviours in the daily life of the smoker. This makes it more difficult to overcome the addiction. Are you interested in quit smoking? CBD can be a good treatment for tobacco addiction!
Currently, six million people die each year from causes related to tobacco use. There are a lot of studies that confirm the serious repercussions tobacco’s use and abuse have on the daily life of its consumers. It is estimated that less than 7% of smokers can quit tobacco dependence at any time in their lives without resorting to medical treatment, and only 25% of those who go to pharmacological treatment manage to stay more than six months without relapsing. When we talk about tobacco addiction, we are facing a huge public health problem that consumes a large amount of state health resources.
CBD MAY HELP YOU TO TREAT NICOTINE ADDICTION
Cannabidiol is one of the many cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant. Unlike other cannabinoids, CBD has no psychoactive effects, on the contrary, its main properties are associated with various healing elements, especially as an anxiolytic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory remedy.
Considering the above, there are a lot of advocates for the use of CBD as an alternative treatment for the abuse of various substances, such as alcohol, cocaine or tobacco. However, although the preliminary results are promising, an in-depth investigation of CBD’s anti-tobacco addiction properties is necessary.
We will analyze the current state of research on the use of Cannabidiol to treat tobacco addiction and as a method to quit smoking.
SCIENTIFIC STUDIES ON CBD AND TOBACCO ADDICTION
Although it is a field of research that has just begun to be developed, there are already some studies regarding the use of CBD to quit smoking. Specifically, we will highlight two carried out at University College London.
The first of them was done already in 2013. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled experiment had very promising findings. The study with 24 smokers consisted of administering inhaled CBD to 12 of them and placebo to 12 others. During the duration of the experiment, which lasted a week, the patients who were under CBD treatment reduced their tobacco use by 40%, a significant difference compared to the control group that was only given the placebo medication.
One of the first partial conclusions reflected in this study is that it is a psychological rather than a physiological problem. So, perhaps the next studies on the treatment of addictions using CBD, have to point to the healing possibilities that Cannabidiol offers as an anxiolytic agent. It is a good remedy to help relax patients, reduce anxiety and stress, without the psychoactive effects of cannabis.
This study demonstrates the potential of CBD as a smoking treatment, although as the authors themselves indicate, a more in-depth study is required. The full study is available at the following link: Cannabidiol reduces cigarette consumption in tobacco smokers: preliminary findings.
Another interesting study from 2018 reinforces the results carried out by Dr Morgan in 2013. In this case, a sample of 30 smokers with nicotine addiction was used, who were given 800 mg of CBD or placebo. The result showed that an 800 mg dose of CBD helps to reduce the attraction to tobacco, especially in periods of withdrawal. Cannabidiol reverses attentional bias to cigarette cues in a human experimental model of tobacco withdrawal.
HOW TO USE CBD TO FIGHT ADDICTION
There are several ways to use CBD to quit smoking. The majority of Cannabidiol users consume it as CBD Oil, however, as we have already explained, tobacco addiction is not only physical dependence on nicotine, but it is the smoking habit that prevents many smokers to quit.
For this reason, it is more advisable to use another method of intake, such as CBD-rich hemp flowers or vapers for E-liquids with CBD, as they can progressively help to quit tobacco. Keep in mind that from a health point of view the use of CBD inhalers is more recommended than smoking the flowers since in this case combustion occurs and may generate toxic substances.
There is already a wide variety of CBD E-liquids on the market, of different concentrations and flavours. In Europe, the sale of these products is regulated and sanitary controls are very strict, so vaping CBD may be the best solution to quit smoking.
Additionally, new CBD-rich products are appearing to help reduce anxiety caused by nicotine withdrawal. We can already find capsules, chewing gums, and sweets rich in Cannabidiol.
In the upcoming years, we expect great growth of the number of people who use this versatile cannabinoid to stop smoking safely and permanently.