Cannabidiol and Anxiety

Cannabidiol and Anxiety
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TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u Abstract PAGEREF _Toc530972586 \h 3
Introduction PAGEREF _Toc530972587 \h 4
Problem Statement PAGEREF _Toc530972588 \h 5
Research Question PAGEREF _Toc530972589 \h 5
Literature Review PAGEREF _Toc530972590 \h 6
Methods PAGEREF _Toc530972591 \h 9
Study population PAGEREF _Toc530972592 \h 9
Study Design PAGEREF _Toc530972593 \h 9
Analytical Comparisons PAGEREF _Toc530972594 \h 10
Measures PAGEREF _Toc530972595 \h 10
Data collection / Sampling PAGEREF _Toc530972596 \h 11
Statistical Analysis PAGEREF _Toc530972597 \h 11
Ethical Issues PAGEREF _Toc530972598 \h 12
Discussion PAGEREF _Toc530972599 \h 13
Strengths and Limitations of Using Randomized Controlled Trial Study Design PAGEREF _Toc530972600 \h 13
Future Research PAGEREF _Toc530972601 \h 14
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the main non-psychotropic constituent of the Cannabis sativa plant that lacks psychoactive effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBD contains broad therapeutic properties that can address various neuropsychiatric disorders in patients. The purpose of this research proposal is to determine the effectiveness of CBD oil in people aged between 19 and 25 suffering from anxiety. Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) is the study design that will be best suited to address the research question because the goal is to establish the effectiveness of CBD and RCT will help determine whether there is the likely effect of CBD oil on anxiety in young adults. Further research and investigation should focus on identifying the specific issues that CBD can treat in human bodies. Additional research on the ability and mechanisms of CBD to regulate learned fear is warranted.
Introduction
Anxiety is a common adaptive reaction by humans in dealing with threats as a means of survival. Excessive anxiety and fear, however, may become maladaptive causing disability. Several symptoms are arising from extreme anxiety that causes some neuropsychiatric disorders such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), and social anxiety disorder (SAD) (Blessing, Steenkamp, Manzanares & Marmar, 2015). Such disorders are linked to relationship breakdown, the increased rate to commit suicide, and increased rates of unemployment (Blessing, Steenkamp, Manzanares & Marmar, 2015).
According to Jurkus et al., (2016), anxiety-related disorders affect a quarter of people in the course their lifetime. Blessing, Steenkamp, Manzanares & Marmar (2015) contend with this argument adding that anxiety disorders have a 29% prevalence rate in the USA thus increasing the social and economic burden of the affected and their families. Both psychological and pharmacological treatments are used to treat anxiety disorders. Psychological treatments include exposure therapy with limited efficacy whereas pharmacological therapies such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, and benzodiazepines among others albeit limited response rates and residual symptoms. Adverse effects and lack of effectiveness of these medications usually lead to non-adherence of the treatment by the patients (Jurkus et al., 2016; Blessing, Steenkamp, Manzanares & Marmar, 2015).
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the main non-psychotropic constituent of the Cannabis sativa plant that lacks psychoactive effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CBD contains broad therapeutic properties that can address various neuropsychiatric disorders in patients (Jurkus et al., 2016; Blessing, Steenkamp, Manzanares & Marmar, 2015). Multiple studies have indicated that CBD is capable of treating anxiety disorders in humans (Zuardi, de Souza Crippa, Hallak, Campos & Guimarães, 2017; Blessing, Steenkamp, Manzanares & Marmar, 2015). This study aims at identifying the efficacy of the use of CBD oil on people suffering from anxiety. Below is the problem statement;
Problem Statement
The purpose of this research is to determine the effectiveness of CBD oil in people aged between 19 and 25 suffering from anxiety. 
Research Question
Is CBD oil effective in treating people between the ages of 19 and 25 suffering from anxiety after a 3months of use?
Literature Review
Various studies have concluded that CBD is well tolerated among humans without harming the human body. Additionally, preclinical studies have ruled out possible addiction to CBD. Therapeutic effectiveness has been achieved through CBD in various medical conditions such as psychotic symptoms, anxiety, depression, seizure disorders, cardiovascular diseases, chronic pain, cancer, neurodegeneration and symptoms of multiple sclerosis when either used alone or administered with THC (Corroon & Phillips, 2018). Treatment using CBD oil has shown positive responses in treating numerous forms of anxiety including anxiety-provoked sleep disorder in children (Blessing, Steenkamp, Manzanares & Marmar, 2015; Shannon, 2016).
There have been over thirty years of extensive studies on the anti-anxiety properties of CBD. Initial studies that involved the use of animals for studies failed to yield any correlation between the use of CBD and reduction in anxiety and anxiety symptoms. Further studies indicated that CBD produces anti-anxiety effects by the use of the elevated plus maze (EPM), an ethologically based animal model of anxiety, in laboratory animals (Zuardi, de Souza Crippa, Hallak, Campos & Guimarães, 2017). Recent studies focused on investigating the anti-anxiety properties of CBD on animals relating to specific anxiety disorder such as trauma-related anxiety disorders showing an improvement in anxiety symptoms (Blessing, Steenkamp, Manzanares & Marmar, 2015; Zuardi, de Souza Crippa, Hallak, Campos & Guimarães, 2017).
Several study cases of human patient suffering from various anxiety disorders have proven the effectiveness of CBD. Treatment of anxiety disorders using CBD has not only shown definite improvement from these conditions but also the absence of psychoactive effects, without affecting cognition and has an adequate safety profile (Zuardi, de Souza Crippa, Hallak, Campos & Guimarães, 2017:p. 137). Additionally, trials in human studies have shown good tolerability of CBD effects on humans while having broad therapeutic and pharmacological actions on various disorders (Blessing, Steenkamp, Manzanares & Marmar, 2015). Zuardi, de Souza Crippa, Hallak, Campos & Guimarães (2017) have also noted that the use of CBD oils does not “induce dependence, tolerance, and abstinence symptoms” making it a good alternative to the benzodiazepines” (p. 137).
Epidemiological studies conducted by Blessing, Steenkamp, Manzanares & Marmar (2015) generate credible preclinical evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of CBD in reducing multiple anxiety disorders including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder and Posttraumatic stress disorder. Various preclinical findings suggest that the use of CBD does not have anxiogenic effects on its users and minimal sedative effects are recorded (Blessing, Steenkamp, Manzanares & Marmar, 2015). The role of CBD in reducing anxiety and learned fear is linked to its ability to dampen the expression of fear, “disrupting its reconsolidation, and facilitating its extinction” (Jurkus et al., 2016: P. 6). Ability to suppress the expression of fear without interfering with its encoding has been found to have increasingly useful clinical implications. With such impact, Jurkus et al., (2016) suggest that CBD can be used for the improvement of other drugs such as benzodiazepines, known to impair fear extinction and antidepressants which have unfavorable side effects.
The medicinal value of cannabis has seen the United States legalize medical marijuana since 1996 extending to 25 states and the District of Columbia. Consequently, doctors can recommend cannabis use for medical purposes as defined by the States that have approved its use. Such conditions include nausea, spasms, seizures, pain, and multiple sclerosis among other debilitating conditions (Sexton, Cuttler, Finnell & Mischley, 2016). The treatment of such diseases may be done in lieu of or alongside other medications. As such, the efficacy of CBD on the treatment of such conditions as anxiety may be unknown and thus require further research. The researcher in this study aims to collect epidemiologic data from volunteer participants for medical purposes to evaluate the effectiveness of CBD oils on anxiety in young adults aged between 19 and 25 years. The research will also illuminate on the CBD’s therapeutic potential in treating various types of neuropsychiatric disorders in future studies.
Methods
The credibility of the research is pinned upon the research methodology selected for the study. The research methods used enables the researcher to assess the value, and applicability of the research methods to generate working empirical theories and evidence. The research methodology constitutes the following sections; resear...