Abstract
Rationale
Cannabidiol (CBD) is found in the cannabis plant and has garnered attention as a potential treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). CBD reduces alcohol consumption and other markers of alcohol dependence in rodents, but human research on CBD and alcohol is limited. It is unknown whether CBD reduces drinking in humans, and mechanisms through which CBD could impact behavioral AUD phenotypes are unknown.
Objectives
This study explores effects of oral CBD on breath alcohol level (BrAC), and subjective effects of alcohol in human participants who report heavy drinking.
Methods
In this placebo-controlled, crossover study, participants consumed 30 mg CBD, 200 mg CBD, or placebo CBD before receiving a standardized alcohol dose. Participants were blind to which CBD dose they received at each session and completed sessions in random order. Thirty-six individuals completed at least one session and were included in analyses.
Results
Differences in outcomes across the three conditions and by sex were explored using multilevel structural equation models. BrAC fell fastest in the placebo condition, followed by 30 mg and 200 mg CBD. Stimulation decreased more slowly in the 200 mg CBD condition than in placebo (b = − 2.38, BCI [− 4.46, − .03]). Sedation decreased more slowly in the 30 mg CBD condition than in placebo (b = − 2.41, BCI [− 4.61, − .09]). However, the magnitude of condition differences in BrAC and subjective effects was trivial.
Conclusions
CBD has minimal influence on BrAC and subjective effects of alcohol. Further research is needed to test whether CBD impacts alcohol consumption in humans, and if so, what mechanism(s) may explain this effect.
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Data Availability
Data is available upon request to the corresponding author.
Notes
Note that the breathalyzer used in this study, the Intoximeter Alco-Sensor IV, takes measurements in grams of alcohol per 210L of breath, as is typical for breathalyzer devices used in the U.S. For simplicity, we report units of BrAC measurements throughout the paper as g/dL, as this is how BAC is typically reported, and it is consistent with how BrAC is reported in prior alcohol administration studies using BrAC measurements to approximate BAC (e.g., Bujarski et al. 2017).
Note that in the “Reasons for Ineligibility” box within Fig. 3, excluded individuals could have endorsed multiple reasons for ineligibility. For the purposes of reporting here, screened individuals were counted only once. If an individual did not meet cannabis use criteria, then “Did not meet cannabis use criteria” was listed as their reason for ineligibility, though it is possible that they also could have been excluded based on not meeting other criteria. If they met cannabis use criteria but did not meet alcohol use criteria, then “Did not meet alcohol use criteria” was listed as their reason for ineligibility, though it is possible that they also could have been excluded on the basis of additional ineligibility reasons listed below. The same rule applies to each successive reason for ineligibility listed in Fig. 3.
Note that BrAC models were run using BrAC*100 to aid in model convergence, but interpretations provided in text are transformed back to the typical scale (i.e., model estimates were divided by 100).
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Funding
This publication was supported by NIH/NCATS Colorado CTSA Grant Number UL1 TR002535 (Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute Co-Pilot Grant Funds awarded to HK). HK is also supported by K23AA028238. MD is supported by F31AA030492. Contents are the authors’ sole responsibility and do not necessarily represent official NIH views.
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Karoly, H.C., Drennan, M.L., Prince, M.A. et al. Consuming oral cannabidiol prior to a standard alcohol dose has minimal effect on breath alcohol level and subjective effects of alcohol. Psychopharmacology 240, 1119–1129 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-023-06349-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-023-06349-z