The relationship between cannabidiol and psychosis: A review.

BACKGROUND:

Cannabis sativa is the most widely used illicit drug in the world. There is concern about its harmful effects, especially because of increasing potency, which has been reported globally. These effects seem to result from the relationship among its components, notably delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), which have opposite effects. THC is considered responsible for the main psychotropic effects of the drug, while CBD seems to antagonize these effects, particularly those that induce psychosis.

METHODS:

We performed a PubMed literature review of research discussing the association of cannabidiol and psychosis published from 2006 to July 2014.

RESULTS:

The effects of Cannabis seem to depend on several variables related to the type of plant, its strength, usage patterns, and intersubjective variations. CBD could be used to treat several conditions, including psychosis, when the current treatment is associated with significant side effects.

CONCLUSIONS:

Because of the complexity of the subject, including limitations and contradictions in studies available to date, further research involving the possible antipsychotic effect and other potential positive effects of Cannabis are needed. There also are noteworthy differences between the research design parameters and recreational use of Cannabis.