Can bipolar disorder be treated with CBD?

What are the causes of bipolarity?

To date, researchers have not been able to truly identify the cause. The factors that can come into play are external or internal, or a hereditary disposition. For example, a traumatic situation in the subject's life can be a trigger.

Biological factors also appear to be involved. Studies have shown that patients experiencing a manic phase may have high concentrations of norepinephrine and dopamine , which are messenger substances.

On the other hand, it has also been noted that depressed people generally have low concentrations of serotonin and norepinephrine, which are also messenger substances. It could therefore be concluded that the balance of messenger substances is disturbed in these individuals.

What is the role of CBD in treating bipolar disorder?

The most commonly used form of cannabis is CBD oil. It is a completely natural plant-based extract made up of cannabinoids . These are feel-good molecules naturally produced by the body.

According to scientists, the antipsychotic properties of CBD may be beneficial for patients with bipolar disorder. Also, according to other reports, CBD has anticonvulsant effects and protects against glutamate toxicity. It is also capable of stabilizing mood.

Recently, some scientists have suggested that CBD may have antipsychotic properties. A placebo-controlled case study of a subject suffering from schizophrenia demonstrated the antipsychotic effects of high-dose oral CBD. After 4 weeks of therapy, the patient experienced a marked improvement in these symptoms.

The influence of CBD on mental disorders

Several studies have shown that cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, such as CBD or THC, may have therapeutic properties for anxiety and depression . The extent to which cannabinoids may influence symptoms associated with bipolar disorder is still far from being fully explored.

In the United Kingdom, and more specifically at Lancaster University, 24 bipolar patients who used cannabis recreationally at least three times a week were selected. They were asked to keep a diary. For six days, these patients recorded how cannabis use affected their manic or depressive episodes.

In conclusion, cannabis can be linked to several psychological consequences. However, it should be noted that this study did not prove that subjects with mental disorders use cannabis for recreational purposes or to treat more or less minor fluctuations of bipolar disorder.

However, the results obtained at Harvard Medical School are much more advanced. Here, it was observed that five subjects benefited from cannabis to better combat their emotional instability, which can sometimes seem extreme.

The University of Oslo also got involved. It used 140 schizophrenic subjects and 133 bipolar subjects. It wanted to examine the impact of cannabis on neurocognitive functions. In this regard, patients with bipolar disorder showed better abilities compared to those with schizophrenia.

Medical Cannabis and Depression

An encouraging therapeutic target, the endocannabinoid system can be activated by the intake of medical cannabinoids. Indeed, studies have shown that psychiatric patients are at risk for impaired cannabinoid signaling.

Both THC and CBD appear to have the therapeutic properties needed to combat the symptoms of depression. Spanish scientists have successfully demonstrated in their studies that CBD can bind to the serotonin 5-HT1A receptor.

This is intended to have an antidepressant effect. Brazilian scientists have also managed to demonstrate the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of CBD.

What can we conclude about cannabis and bipolarity?

Currently, there are very few studies worldwide investigating the effect of medical cannabis on the treatment of bipolar disorder. The few studies identified to date show that cannabinoids are not particularly effective during a manic phase. On the other hand, there have been many more studies on the therapeutic properties of cannabis for depression.

Therefore, it is easy to say that it is entirely possible to use therapeutic cannabis as a support during a depressive episode. CBD can be consumed in the form of flowers , resins , oils or infusions .

However, it's worth remembering that bipolar patients often use cannabis recreationally, so abuse could be encouraged. Therefore, therapy should be carefully considered and a doctor's advice sought.