The efficacy of cannabidiol in the treatment of anxiety disorders

Introduction: Anxiety disorders impact individuals’ personal and social lives, occupation, and relationships. With about 6.3% of the United States population directly affected by anxiety disorders, therapy and pharmacological options remain mainstays of treatment. Cannabidiol (CBD) has emerged as an efficacious new treatment option for anxiety disorders with an improved side effect profile from current first line options. Therefore, this review analyzes the use of cannabidiol (I) for symptom management (O) in patients suffering from an anxiety disorder (P) compared to placebo (C). Methods: A literature search was conducted through PubMed, EBSCO, and PsychINFO from September 2019 through November 2019. A total of six double-blind randomized control trials and a brief review were selected to be included in this study based upon publication date, the target of the cannabidiol treatment, and cannabidiol being used alone as treatment. Study design, results, and conclusions were analyzed to compile the findings of the existing literature. Results: Five of six randomized control trials demonstrated statistically significant data regarding improved objective outcomes for individuals given CBD vs placebo. Subjective measures were significant in three of six studies and physiological measures were insignificant across all studies that included such analysis. Negative side effects were limited across all studies, supporting the limited side effect profile of CBD and its effectiveness in anxiety treatment. Discussion: Analysis revealed significant findings in five of the six RCT studies included, although outcomes were determined using different measures. In the majority of studies included, CBD was successful in reducing objective measures of anxiety, yet there need to be more long-term studies on CBD and its effectiveness in managing chronic anxiety. Conclusion: CBD has gained momentum as a potential treatment for anxiety as marijuana policy and legalization has come to the forefront of government policy. The existing studies support that CBD could serve as an effective anxiety treatment, but there is a need for further studies analyzing the effectiveness of CBD as a long-term treatment and comparing the effectiveness to the existing first line treatments