Schizophrenia is a mental health condition that involves thoughts or experiences that are not based in reality, among other things.
It’s a condition that affects roughly 20 million people across the globe at any given time. It is not as common as many other mental health conditions, however, it is a very serious condition nonetheless.
People that suffer from schizophrenia may experience disorganized speech, erratic behavior, as well as difficulty concentrating and remembering things.
It can be a very debilitating condition in some cases, and may lead to decreased participation in life’s daily activities.
Unfortunately, it is still unknown what causes schizophrenia, although genetics, environment, and altered brain chemistry and structure are likely contributing factors.
CBD and Schizophrenia
Antipsychotic medications are the most commonly prescribed treatment for schizophrenia, however, those prescription drugs often come at a great expense to the patient both figuratively and literally.
In addition to being expensive, antipsychotic medications carry potential side effects such as weight gain, nausea, and severe depression.
Researchers in Switzerland recently explored the relationship between CBD cigarette consumption and any effects it might have on a schizophrenic patients’ use of antipsychotic medications.
“A discontinuous multilevel model revealed no significant group differences for primary outcomes. After 4 weeks of acute treatment, mean PANSS and BDI decreased in both groups, while an increase of antipsychotic medication equivalent was observed in the placebo group,” the study’s authors stated.
“The presented findings might suggest an antipsychotic medication sparing effect of CBD-cigarettes as adjunctive treatment of acute psychosis,” the researchers concluded.
CBD in Switzerland
Cannabis products that contain low amounts of THC (less than 1%) have been legal to sell and purchase in Switzerland since 2017. Products in cigarette/joint form are particularly popular.
While the products are rarely marketed as being CBD products, they are often made from floral hemp that is both low in THC and high in CBD.
That is good news for those that suffer from schizophrenia in Switzerland because the products are sold all over the country without any kind of prescription.
Obviously, a significant amount of research still needs to be conducted on the issue of smoked CBD as a treatment for schizophrenia, however, the results of this current study are promising.
