Cannabidiol Effects on Blood Alcohol Level and Intoxication

Exploring the Effects of Acute Cannabidiol Administration on Blood Alcohol Level and Intoxication in Adult Human Subjects

The main objectives of this study were to test if 2 different doses of Cannabidiol (compared to placebo) alter 1) breath alcohol concentration, 2) craving and subjective responses to alcohol or 3) cognitive performance following a standard dose of alcohol.

Cannabidiol (CBD), is commonly found in the cannabis plant and has shown promise in treating alcohol use disorders (AUD). In this within-subjects, placebo-controlled, crossover study, the investigators explored the effects of two doses (200mg and 30mg) of plant-based CBD (compared to placebo CBD) on blood alcohol level, subjective effects of alcohol, craving and cognition over the course 4 hours after subjects consume a standardized dose of alcohol.

This pilot study was conducted at Colorado State University and volunteers were recruited from the local community. 36 individuals completed at least 1 study session and 22 completed all three sessions. At each session they received either placebo 30mg oral CBD or 200mg oral CBD prior to being given a standard dose of alcohol. They then remained in our laboratory for 4 hours and completed cognitive testing using the NIH toolbox Cognitive Battery, breath alcohol level measurements and self-reported intoxication ratings (using the The Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale [BAES] and the The Subjective Effects of Alcohol Scale [SEAS]) and reported their craving levels using the Alcohol Urge Questionnaire (AUQ) every 30 minutes. They also provided 3 blood samples to measure blood-CBD levels at each session (prior to receiving the CBD, 25 minutes post-CBD ingestion and again 60 minutes later). Study sessions were separated by at least one week.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 21-60 years old
• able to provide consent
• willing to consume CBD during the study
• report heavy drinking (>5 drinks [>4 for women] per occasion on at least 5 days/month in the past 3 months)
• not cannabis/CBD naive (i.e. THC or CBD use at least once in the past year), do not use cannabis regularly (i.e., less than monthly over past year), and no past-month cannabis use.

Exclusion Criteria:

• a regular or recent cannabis user (i.e. they used cannabis more often than monthly during the past year or used cannabis in the past month)
• were seeking treatment a substance use disorder (SUD) including AUD, taking medications to treat bipolar or psychotic disorders
• using nicotine every day
• taking blood thinning medications
• reported having a major medical condition contraindicating alcohol or CBD use (e.g., liver disease or heart disease)
• reported current suicidality
• met criteria for psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder or a current major depressive episode,
• reported using illicit drugs in the 30 days prior to beginning the study or tested positive for any illicit drugs
• were pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to become pregnant.