A novel insight into the antidepressant effect of cannabidiol: possible involvement of the 5-HT1A, CB1, GPR55, and PPARγ receptors

Background: Depression is a prevalent and disabling disorder that poses serious problems in mental health care, and rapid antidepressants are novel treatments for this disorder. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid, is thought to have therapeutic potential due to its important neurological and anti-inflammatory properties. Despite major advances in pharmacotherapy in experimental animals, the exact mechanism of antidepressant-like effects remains to be elucidated.

Methods: In this paper, we review the current state of knowledge on the antidepressant properties of CBD in numerous experimental and clinical studies.

Results: Accumulating evidence suggests that CBD has antidepressant properties in humans and animals with few side effects, suggesting that CBD may be a potential antidepressant. Furthermore, we discuss CBD may therefore provide a potential treatment to exert antidepressant-like effects through various molecular targets, reducing inflammation, and enhancing neurogenesis.

Conclusions: Taken together with the growing popularity of CBD as a medicine, these findings extend the limited knowledge on the antidepressant effects of CBD. This potentially opens up new therapeutic means for the patients with depression.