Cannabidiol Effects on Blood Alcohol Level and Intoxication
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Treatments
Details and patient eligibility
About
The main objectives of this study were to test if 2 different doses of Cannabidiol (compared to placebo) alter 1) breath alcohol concentration, 2) craving and subjective responses to alcohol or 3) cognitive performance following a standard dose of alcohol.
Full description
Cannabidiol (CBD), is commonly found in the cannabis plant and has shown promise in treating alcohol use disorders (AUD). In this within-subjects, placebo-controlled, crossover study, the investigators explored the effects of two doses (200mg and 30mg) of plant-based CBD (compared to placebo CBD) on blood alcohol level, subjective effects of alcohol, craving and cognition over the course 4 hours after subjects consume a standardized dose of alcohol.
This pilot study was conducted at Colorado State University and volunteers were recruited from the local community. 36 individuals completed at least 1 study session and 22 completed all three sessions. At each session they received either placebo 30mg oral CBD or 200mg oral CBD prior to being given a standard dose of alcohol. They then remained in our laboratory for 4 hours and completed cognitive testing using the NIH toolbox Cognitive Battery, breath alcohol level measurements and self-reported intoxication ratings (using the The Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale [BAES] and the The Subjective Effects of Alcohol Scale [SEAS]) and reported their craving levels using the Alcohol Urge Questionnaire (AUQ) every 30 minutes. They also provided 3 blood samples to measure blood-CBD levels at each session (prior to receiving the CBD, 25 minutes post-CBD ingestion and again 60 minutes later). Study sessions were separated by at least one week.
Enrollment
Sex
Ages
Volunteers
Inclusion criteria
- 21-60 years old
- able to provide consent
- willing to consume CBD during the study
- report heavy drinking (>5 drinks [>4 for women] per occasion on at least 5 days/month in the past 3 months)
- not cannabis/CBD naive (i.e. THC or CBD use at least once in the past year), do not use cannabis regularly (i.e., less than monthly over past year), and no past-month cannabis use.
Exclusion criteria
- a regular or recent cannabis user (i.e. they used cannabis more often than monthly during the past year or used cannabis in the past month)
- were seeking treatment a substance use disorder (SUD) including AUD, taking medications to treat bipolar or psychotic disorders
- using nicotine every day
- taking blood thinning medications
- reported having a major medical condition contraindicating alcohol or CBD use (e.g., liver disease or heart disease)
- reported current suicidality
- met criteria for psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder or a current major depressive episode,
- reported using illicit drugs in the 30 days prior to beginning the study or tested positive for any illicit drugs
- were pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to become pregnant.
Trial design
Primary purpose
Allocation
Interventional model
Masking
37 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group
Trial contacts and locations
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Data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov
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