London: A new research has found that just a single dose of cannabis extract can help reduce symptoms of psychosis.
Researchers from King’s College London, who were involved in the study, discovered the symptoms became less severe when psychosis patients were given a 600mg oral dose of cannabidiol (CBD), one of the major chemical components of the marijuana plant, the media reported.
Use of cannabis usually leads to symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, anxiety and insomnia Unlike the other cannabis component THC, (tetrahydrocannabinol) which makes such symptoms far worse, and causes users to get a ‘high’, CBD has been found to have the opposite effect on those who use it. THC is believed to be a significant risk factor for psychosis and other conditions like schizophrenia.
MRI scans revealed it helps ‘readjust brain activity to normal levels’, the report revealed.
Study author Dr Sagnik Bhattacharyya told the media: “The mainstay of current treatment for people with psychosis are drugs that were first discovered in the 1950s and unfortunately do not work for everyone. “Our results have started unravelling the brain mechanisms of a new drug that works in a completely different way to traditional anti-psychotics.”
Currently, researchers are investigating whether CBD can treat people at risk of developing psychosis. If successful, cannabidiol could one day be used as an antipsychotic treatment.
The findings were originally published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
