There have been a lot of questions revolving around the negative impacts of CBD on a person’s mental state. To be specific, the question on everyone’s mind seems to be, ‘Can CBD cause psychosis’? The answer isn’t as simple as you think.
According to research, safe and controlled use of CBD does not lead to any mental disorders such as psychosis. However, it really depends on a myriad of factors, including the individual’s mental history and past interactions with substances that might result in an incompatible mix. This article aims to shed light on some of the connections between CBD usage and psychosis.
What Is Psychosis?
Psychosis is an umbrella term defining a broad collection of resembling symptoms. These symptoms typically involve the mind, meaning the issues that arise here are not rooted in reality.
A psychotic breakdown can result in the patient having hallucinations, loss of concentration, disorganized thinking, memory loss, and delusional or irrational behavior. These symptoms might occur due to a brain injury, excessive drug use, or other factors such as lack of sleep, stress, or mental disorders.
Is CBD Psychoactive?
A substance can only cause psychotic symptoms if it can affect a person’s state of mind, which isn’t likely in the case of CBD. But what about all the CBD gummies on the internet? Don’t worry; these aren’t your average mind-bending cannabis-filled candies. Although the compound is extracted from the cannabis plant, consuming CBD won’t get you ‘high’ as it has little to no effect on your mental state.
This is totally different from marijuana, which has a heavy presence of THC, the substance directly responsible for giving us a high sensation. It interacts with neurons and stimulates our brain to produce pleasure and euphoria.
Since CBD does not contain any THC, the compound can’t hijack our brains and alter our thinking or mental state. To conclude, CBD is non-psychoactive in nature.
Does CBD Reduce Psychosis?
Researching the effects of CBD with regard to psychosis can determine whether or not the compound is a driving factor for the condition. Scientists have conducted several studies over the years in the hopes of uncovering how CBD and THC affect patients with psychosis.
While we know that marijuana can trigger psychosis, the results seem to be the opposite for CBD; it can actually manage specific symptoms. CBD can potentially decrease the symptoms of drug-induced psychosis, especially among marijuana users.
A comparison between 88 psychosis patients over a 6-week trial determined that patients treated with CBD displayed reduced symptoms compared to those treated with placebos. This is a strong indicator that CBD is not a triggering factor but rather a reductive factor for psychosis. Therefore, consuming CBD in controlled doses can actually help treat psychotic symptoms in patients.
Treating Psychosis With CBD
Although the FDA has not approved any CBD products for the treatment of mental health disorders, there is enough research to indicate that they can be a supplementary option for combating psychosis.
Remember that every person reacts differently to this stuff, so we advise you to take certain precautions before diving into it. The first thing to consider is the THC content; lower amounts are always better!
The dosage is also necessary and should be compatible with your physical and mental fortitude. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ answer for this; it depends on individual factors. We recommend starting with a low dosage and seeing how things progress.
Here is a list of helpful CBD products that could reduce your symptoms.
CBD Edibles
CBD-infused edibles such as gummies, protein bars, chocolates, honey sticks, breath strips, or dried fruits could effectively reduce stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
CBD Capsules
Want to avoid putting CBD in your food? Try capsules instead. They are tasteless and small enough to swallow with a cup of water. Note that you’ll have to be consistent in your intake if you want to feel any of the effects.
Excessive CBD Use: What Does It Do To Us?
It’s not difficult to understand that the excessive consumption of practically any substance can lead to dangerous outcomes, and it’s no different for CBD. While a few rare individuals might be able to resist the adverse effects, most people are likely to succumb to them.
On the other hand, several users have reported having an increase in tolerance level, ultimately requiring them to constantly increase their dosage over time to feel any of the standard effects. It all depends on how your body and mind react to it.
Consuming too much CBD can have a myriad of adverse effects, including dry mouth, liver issues, diarrhea, fatigue, low blood pressure, and hormonal imbalances, amongst others.
The most critical side effect of our study is the one regarding mental health. While CBD conumption in controlled doses is a mitigating factor for psychological symptoms, it can be the exact opposite when taken in extreme quantities.
Research has shown that higher doses usually escalate psychological symptoms that are already present in a person. Similarly, individuals who are mentally insane might not display positive effects even with controlled amounts.
Conclusion
While it is inevitable that regular doses of CBD cannot cause psychosis, a higher amount might trigger an aggravating effect on individuals already suffering from psychological symptoms.
To explain, CBD does ‘create’ psychological symptoms. However, it can worsen such symptoms that are already present, therefore making your condition much worse than it was.
You can undoubtedly treat psychosis using CBD edibles and capsules. However, we recommend being careful with the dosage and the THC level present in these supplements.
These aren’t general medications proven to be effective over time, but alternative treatments that are currently experimental. The effectiveness and safety of such treatments depend on your physical and mental history and individual tolerance levels.
