Table 3.
CBD effects on anxiety in humans
| Reference | Subjects and test(s) used | Effective dose and route of administration | Effect | Possible pharmacological or neural mechanism |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zuardi et al. (1982) | Healthy subjects, THC‐induced anxiety | ~70 mg (1 mg·kg−1) orally | Prevented the anxiogenic effects of THC | Not tested |
| Zuardi et al. (1993) | Healthy subjects, simulated public speaking‐induced anxiety | 300 mg orally | Prevented public speaking‐induced increase in anxiety | Not tested (effects similar to the 5‐HT1A receptor partial agonist ipsapirone) |
| Crippa et al. (2004) | Healthy subjects, SPECT | 400 mg orally | Anxiolytic | Decreased blood flow in medial temporal structures and posterior cingulate gyrus |
| Fusar‐Poli et al. (2009, 2010) | Healthy subjects, fearful faces, fMRI | 600 mg orally | Anxiolytic (trend) | Decreased blood flow in amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex that correlated with a reduced SCR to fearful faces |
| Bergamaschi et al. (2011) | Social anxiety disorder patients, simulated public speaking‐induced anxiety | 600 mg orally | Anxiolytic | Not tested |
| Crippa et al. (2011) | Generalized anxiety disorders patients, SPECT | 400 mg orally | Decreased subjective anxiety | Altered blood flow in limbic and paralimbic brain areas |
| Hurd et al. (2015) | Abstinent heroin abusers, heroin cue‐induced anxiety | 400 or 800 mg orally | Decreased subjective anxiety (preliminary data) | Not tested |
| Shannon and Opila‐Lehman, 2016 | A 10 year‐old girl with PTSD (case report) | At least 25 mg daily for 5 months | Reduced anxiety and improved sleep | Not tested |
fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging; SCR, skin conductance response; SPECT, single‐photon emission computed tomography.