Study Says CBD Could Be Your Way Out Of A Tobacco Addiction

Study Says CBD Could Be Your Way Out Of A Tobacco Addiction

quit smoking with cbd

If you’re trying to quit smoking cigarettes, a certain compound in cannabis could help with that.

Scientists have just found that CBD (cannabidiol), the non-psychoactive and highly therapeutic compound in cannabis, has shown to be beneficial in eliminating the causes of relapse among cigarette smokers who just kicked the habit, especially for those prone to a relapse because the joy of smoking is strongly associated with certain settings or being in social situations with friends.

The study, which was published in the journal Addiction, supports previous research where smokers who use a CBD inhaler each time they get the urge to smoke ended up reducing their cigarette consumption by as much as 40% within the course of a week. The two studies, which were both conducted by researchers at the University College London, were small in size; the researchers concluded that more studies in bigger groups would be needed to verify the results.

Still, the results are promising. CBD could play an important role in helping people quit the deadly addiction.

“These findings suggest that cannabidiol has promise as a novel treatment for tobacco addiction,” says Dr. Tom Freeman, Senior Academic fellow at King’s College London, who worked with the researchers.

“It might be particularly effective when abstinent smokers who are exposed to cues that trigger relapse, such as when they are with a friend who lights a cigarette, or in a particular place they associate with smoking,” he adds. The study’s results were welcomed by other experts in the field, despite not being involved in the studies.

“Taken together, these studies suggest CBD could play a key role in helping people to give up smoking,” says Professor Yasmin Hurd, the current director of the Addiction Institute at the Mount Sinai Hospital in New York.

Dr. Amir Englund of the King’s College London also added that, “These findings are exciting as they suggest CBD may interfere with some of the underlying mechanisms behind tobacco addiction and could potentially be a treatment for people who are trying to quit.”

Although the researchers pointed out that among the study participants, CBD did not seem to be helpful in reducing the actual withdrawal symptoms or the very cravings, it could still be effective for smokers who are prone to relapse as part of a bigger cessation programme.

What Older Studies Say

The older study conducted by the University College London found that CBD was effective in eliminating the positive feelings that the brain associates with smoking, which thus makes quitting cigarettes easier.

“We found that CBD seems to reduce the salience of cues. It also can reduce anxiety and may affect a memory process called ‘reconsolidation’, which is where when a memory of the reward of smoking is re-activated by seeing someone smoking, it is rendered vulnerable to destruction,” says study co-author Celia Morgan, Ph.D.

Given the success of the outcomes so far, and the absence of any side effects of CBD, means that there should be no harm at all in trying to use cannabis to quit.

How To Use CBD To Quit Smoking

CBD can be taken in various forms as a means of smoking cessation therapy. There are many ways you can benefit from using various forms of CBD such as:

CBD inhalers: The participants of the study were given inhalers, and this resulted in a 40% reduction in cigarette use within a week. Although CBD inhalers are fairly new, if you come across one in your state, give it a shot.

CBD oil: CBD oil has a multitude of health benefits, and can be used to effectively treat illnesses. You can also try to use CBD oil to quit smoking while enjoying its many health benefits such as the reduction of anxiety and stress to ease withdrawal symptoms. One or two doses of a high CBD oil taken daily after quitting can help reduce the cravings and symptoms; and a few drops under the tongue before bed can also promote better sleep.

CBD strains: Smoking high CBD strains in lieu of cigarettes is much healthier than tobacco, and it can also give you the oral fixation that you may have especially during the early stages of quitting. Smoking high CBD strains can promote relaxation, too.