A major study is being launched to see if people with psychosis or psychotic symptoms can benefit from cannabidiol (CBD).
CBD is the second most abundant active ingredient in cannabis but does not give a high by itself and there is no evidence people can become addicted.
The NHS only prescribes it for a few conditions such as severe epilepsy, people with certain multiple sclerosis symptoms, and those with vomiting and nausea caused by chemotherapy.
However, it’s also thought it could help reduce anxiety and insomnia.
A £16.5m grant from the Wellcome Trust to the University of Oxford’s psychiatry department will now be used to start a global study involving 1,000 people.
Some of those taking part will be at high risk of psychosis, others will be patients who’ve already had a first psychotic episode or those with psychosis who haven’t responded to other treatments.
Thirty-five centres will be involved, mainly in Europe and North America, and the CBD is being supplied free by a pharmaceutical company.
Professor Philip McGuire, who will lead the research, said CBD was “one of the most promising new treatments” for psychosis patients.
“Many people with psychosis are open to trying cannabidiol and previous smaller-scale studies have indicated that it has beneficial effects,” he said.
“As well as treating psychosis that is already established, the study will also investigate whether cannabidiol can prevent the onset of psychosis in people at high risk of…
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