SPOKANE, Wash. – A team of Washington State University (WSU) researchers have found that cannabidiol, also known as CBD, could help tobacco users curve the craving for nicotine.
According to WSU researchers, CBD is a non-psychoactive element of cannabis that inhibits the a key enzyme of nicotine metabolism. For those addicted to nicotine, using CBD slows the metabolism process which could assist in the quitting process.
“The whole mission is to decrease harm from smoking, which is not from the nicotine per se, but all the carcinogens and other chemicals that are in tobacco smoke,” said Philip Lazarus, WSU Pharmaceutical Sciences professor and senior author on this study which is published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology. “If we can minimize that harm, it would be a great thing for human health.”
Lazarus says more research will be needed to confirm these effects and determine the proper dosage levels needed, however, these findings are showing promise.
The WSU research team is currently developing a study examining the effects of CBD on nicotine levels in smokers. Once that’s finished, they hope to do a larger study looking at CBD and nicotine addiction.
“In addition to Lazarus, co-authors on the current study include first author Shamema Nasrin, Shelby Coates, Keti Bardhi and Christy Watson of WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences as well as Joshua Muscat of Penn State Cancer Institute. This research was supported by a National…
