CBD Oil for Reducing Emotional Impact of COVID-19

Substance Abuse Clinical Trial

— CBDOIL  

Official title:

Use of CBD Oil for Reducing the Negative Emotional Impact of COVID-19: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Suspended

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT04603781
• Other study ID #: 2020-07-0138
• Status: Suspended
• Phase: Phase 2/Phase 3
• Start date: December 4, 2020
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2023

Study information

• Verified date: November 2023
• Source: University of Texas at Austin
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

Our purpose is to conduct a 4-arm placebo-controlled clinical trial to investigate the relative clinical efficacy of 300 mg. of pure hemp-derived CBD isolate, 300 mg. of full spectrum CBD oil, 300 mg. of broad- spectrum CBD Oil, or Placebo oil among adults presenting with COVID-19 -induced stress reactions including one or more of the following: anxiety, depression, anger, substance use, or sleep disturbance.

Description:

Background and Significance of the Proposed Project The COVID-19 pandemic has hit us like a ton of bricks creating unimaginable levels of unanticipated death, financial hardship, and dramatic changes in nearly every facet of our life including school, work, shopping, social and family life. Sadly, the physical, mental, economic, and health burden of COVID-19 disproportionately affects the poor, the elderly, and people of color. The stress induced by these changes as well as the lack of control we have over them increases risk for new onset of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, substance abuse, sleep disturbance, and family violence as well as exacerbation of symptoms among those with pre-existing psychiatric conditions. Although many people will successfully manage the increased stress from COVID-19 on their own or with the support from family and friends, others may need extra help to cope. Consequently, there is an urgent need for developing cost-effective strategies for managing the stress-induced psychological consequences of COVID-19. There's been considerable excitement in the press over the potential therapeutic use of cannabidiol (CBD) products in the treatment of a variety of physical and mental health problems. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9 THC) is still illegal in most states because of its psychoactive abuse potential. In contrast, cannabidiol (CBD) does not convert to THC in the body and has negligible side effects relative to main-stream psychiatric drugs (benzodiazepines and antidepressants) commonly prescribed for the treatment of stress-related disorders such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Mounting evidence from studies with rodents suggests that CBD may confer significant promising health-related benefits including anti-inflammatory, pain-relieving, anti-cancer, memory enhancement, and facilitation of fear extinction (see White for a recent review). The biggest success story for CBD use in humans to date comes from placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials demonstrating a 50% or more reduction in previously intractable seizures in children suffering from Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Moreover, several controlled clinical trials have shown promising findings in reducing psychotic symptoms among patients with schizophrenia and among young adults displaying THC-induced psychosis. Preliminary Evidence that CBD may offer promise in the treatment of stress-related disorders has started to emerge. A small pilot trial with 24 patients presenting with social anxiety disorder found that relative to placebo, a single dose of 100 mg of CBD oil led to lower levels of anxiety, cognitive impairment, and discomfort in their actual speech performance as well as their anxiety before the speech. An uncontrolled case series of 11 PTSD patients receiving 8 weeks of CBD, reported a 28% reduction in PTSD symptom scores. In a small 4-week placebo-controlled study of 37 young Japanese adults with social anxiety disorder, Masataka found a significant advantage of CBD over placebo in reducing subjects' scores on two widely used measures of social anxiety symptoms. Why Compare CBD-Isolate with Broad-Spectrum and Full-Spectrum CBD? CBD isolate is the purest form of CBD. It is made by extracting it from its natural environment - either hemp which is legal and recognized as generally safe in all states because of its low THC content (less than .3%), or the marijuana plant which has high levels of THC (up to 30%) and remains a Schedule 1 controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. Unlike hemp-derived CBD Isolate, hemp-derived full-spectrum CBD contains all the hundreds of phytochemicals naturally found in the cannabis plant, including CBD, trace cannabinoids including Cannabinol (CBN), Cannabichromene (CBC), Cannabigerol (CBDA) and Cannabidivarin (CBDV), and more than 200 different terpenes, essential oils, and negligible THC content (less than 0.3%). Research demonstrating the wide-ranging therapeutic effects of CBD oil including anti-emetic, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, and anti-psychotic effects were based on studies using pure doses of CBD Isolate. However, more recently it has been shown that the therapeutic effects of purified CBD display a bell-shaped dose-response curve suggesting a limited dose range, with no beneficial effects achieved at either lower or higher doses. This narrow therapeutic window presents a challenge for using CBD isolate clinically. Based on recent research with rodents and humans, administration of a full spectrum cannabis extract containing mostly CBD but also containing other minor phytocannabinoids and non-cannabinoids exerted a synergistic effect with CBD that was both more effective than CBD Isolate without the unwanted bell-shaped dose-response curve. This finding has been named the entourage effect. However, to date, there are no human trials for any physical or mental health problem comparing the gold standard CBD isolate with a full-spectrum CBD formulation, despite the fact that both forms of CBD are widely available without a prescription in stores all across the United States. The proposed project will provide important data to determine whether a full-spectrum CBD formulation offers any advantages over CBD isolate in reducing COVID-19 stress-induced symptoms. Specific Aims and Hypotheses: 1. Compare the efficacy of a 4-week daily regimen of hemp-derived CBD isolate (300 mg/day), broad-spectrum CBD oil, full spectrum CBD oil (300 mg/day), or placebo oil in reducing patient-rated symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. It is predicted that patients receiving and of the three active CBD oil formulations (pure isolate, broad-spectrum, or full spectrum CBD oil) will show significantly greater reduction in emotional distress and sleep disturbance relative to those receiving placebo oil. It is also predicted that broad-spectrum and full-spectrum CBD oil will outperform CBD isolate in reducing COVID-19 stress-induced symptoms of stress, anxiety, depression, anger, and sleep disturbance. 2. Examine predictors of patients' clinical response to the 4 treatments. It is expected that the superiority of broad-spectrum and full-spectrum CBD oil relative to CBD isolate or placebo will be more pronounced for patients showing more severe COVID-19 stress-induced symptoms at baseline. 3. Examine the perceived acceptability and side effects profile of 4 weeks of daily CBD/Placebo oil ingestion. It is expected that each of the three CBD formulations (CBD isolate, Broad-spectrum or Full spectrum CBD oil) will show minimal side effects that will not exceed the level of side effects for those ingesting placebo oil with the possible exception of somnolence.

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Suspended
• Enrollment: 200
• Est. completion date: December 31, 2023
• Est. primary completion date: December 31, 2023
• Accepts healthy volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 70 Years

Eligibility

INCLUSION CRITERIA:

• Displays elevated symptom scores on one or more of the following established assessment instruments for depression (PROMIS-Depression), anxiety (PROMIS-Anxiety), Anger (PROMIS-Anger), sleep disturbance (PROMIS-Sleep); or Alcohol/Substance (PROMIS-Alcohol; PROMIS- Substance Use)
• Age between 18 to 70;
• Fluent in English;
• Has home access to the Internet;
• Willingness to provide signed informed consent;
• Willingness to refrain from all non-study CBD products during the 6-week study period;
• Willing to complete a brief pre-study 7-day online symptom monitoring log;
• Currently residing in the United States

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

• History of a suicide attempt within the past 6 months
• Any medical problem that would preclude participating in the study including liver disease
• Current use of warfarin or other prescribed blood thinners,
• Currently taking seizure medications such as valproate, lamotrigine, or clobazam;
• Currently taking thyroid medications such as levothyroxine;
• Currently taking heart rhythm medications such as amiodarone;
• Currently taking anti-hypertension medications;
• Pregnant or planning to become pregnant within the next 6 weeks.
• History of adverse reaction to CBD oil or other CBD products.
• Allergic to coconut oil.

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Alcohol Abuse
• Alcoholism
• Anger
• Anxiety Depression
• COVID-19
• Dyssomnias
• Fractures, Stress
• Parasomnias
• Sleep Disturbance
• Stress Reaction
• Substance Abuse
• Substance-Related Disorders

Intervention

Dietary Supplement:
• CBD Isolate
300 mg. daily dose of CBD Isolate Oil
• Full Spectrum CBD Oil
300 mg. daily dose of CBD with full spectrum of other cannabinoids found in the hemp plant
• Broad-Spectrum CBD Oil
300 mg. daily dose of CBD with a selected spectrum of other cannabinoids found in the hemp plant
• Placebo Oil
MCT Oil with mint flavoring

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
United States	University of Texas at Austin, Laboratory for the Study of Anxiety Disorders	Austin	Texas

Sponsors (3)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
University of Texas at Austin	SunFlora.Inc, Way West Wellness

Country where clinical trial is conducted

United States, 

References & Publications (14)

Bergamaschi MM, Queiroz RH, Chagas MH, de Oliveira DC, De Martinis BS, Kapczinski F, Quevedo J, Roesler R, Schroder N, Nardi AE, Martin-Santos R, Hallak JE, Zuardi AW, Crippa JA. Cannabidiol reduces the anxiety induced by simulated public speaking in treatment-naive social phobia patients. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2011 May;36(6):1219-26. doi: 10.1038/npp.2011.6. Epub 2011 Feb 9. — View Citation

Cowger TL, Davis BA, Etkins OS, Makofane K, Lawrence JA, Bassett MT, Krieger N. Comparison of Weighted and Unweighted Population Data to Assess Inequities in Coronavirus Disease 2019 Deaths by Race/Ethnicity Reported by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Jul 1;3(7):e2016933. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.16933. Erratum In: JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Aug 3;3(8):e2019768. — View Citation

Devinsky O, Cross JH, Laux L, Marsh E, Miller I, Nabbout R, Scheffer IE, Thiele EA, Wright S; Cannabidiol in Dravet Syndrome Study Group. Trial of Cannabidiol for Drug-Resistant Seizures in the Dravet Syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2017 May 25;376(21):2011-2020. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1611618. — View Citation

Devinsky O, Patel AD, Cross JH, Villanueva V, Wirrell EC, Privitera M, Greenwood SM, Roberts C, Checketts D, VanLandingham KE, Zuberi SM; GWPCARE3 Study Group. Effect of Cannabidiol on Drop Seizures in the Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2018 May 17;378(20):1888-1897. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1714631. — View Citation

Elms L, Shannon S, Hughes S, Lewis N. Cannabidiol in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Series. J Altern Complement Med. 2019 Apr;25(4):392-397. doi: 10.1089/acm.2018.0437. Epub 2018 Dec 13. — View Citation

Gallily R, Yekhtin Z, Hanuš LO. Overcoming the Bell-Shaped Dose-Response of Cannabidiol by Using <i>Cannabis</i> Extract Enriched in Cannabidiol. Pharmacol Amp Pharm. 2015;06(02):75-85. doi:10.4236/pp.2015.62010

Linares IM, Zuardi AW, Pereira LC, Queiroz RH, Mechoulam R, Guimaraes FS, Crippa JA. Cannabidiol presents an inverted U-shaped dose-response curve in a simulated public speaking test. Braz J Psychiatry. 2019 Jan-Feb;41(1):9-14. doi: 10.1590/1516-4446-2017-0015. Epub 2018 Oct 11. — View Citation

Masataka N. Anxiolytic Effects of Repeated Cannabidiol Treatment in Teenagers With Social Anxiety Disorders. Front Psychol. 2019 Nov 8;10:2466. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02466. eCollection 2019. — View Citation

Mazza C, Ricci E, Biondi S, Colasanti M, Ferracuti S, Napoli C, Roma P. A Nationwide Survey of Psychological Distress among Italian People during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 May 2;17(9):3165. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17093165. — View Citation

McGuire P, Robson P, Cubala WJ, Vasile D, Morrison PD, Barron R, Taylor A, Wright S. Cannabidiol (CBD) as an Adjunctive Therapy in Schizophrenia: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Psychiatry. 2018 Mar 1;175(3):225-231. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.17030325. Epub 2017 Dec 15. — View Citation

Morgan CJ, Curran HV. Effects of cannabidiol on schizophrenia-like symptoms in people who use cannabis. Br J Psychiatry. 2008 Apr;192(4):306-7. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.107.046649. — View Citation

Russo EB. Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects. Br J Pharmacol. 2011 Aug;163(7):1344-64. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01238.x. — View Citation

White CM. A Review of Human Studies Assessing Cannabidiol's (CBD) Therapeutic Actions and Potential. J Clin Pharmacol. 2019 Jul;59(7):923-934. doi: 10.1002/jcph.1387. Epub 2019 Feb 7. — View Citation

Zuardi AW, Hallak JE, Dursun SM, Morais SL, Sanches RF, Musty RE, Crippa JA. Cannabidiol monotherapy for treatment-resistant schizophrenia. J Psychopharmacol. 2006 Sep;20(5):683-6. doi: 10.1177/0269881106060967. Epub 2006 Jan 9. — View Citation

* Note: There are 14 references in all — Click here to view all references

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	PROMIS Emotional Distress Index	This measure is a 43-item patient-rated emotional distress symptom scale consisting of 6 sub-factors (Depression, Anxiety, Anger, Alcohol Use, Substance Use, and Sleep Disturbance). Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale.	Week 0-Baseline
Primary	PROMIS Emotional Distress Index	This measure is a 43-item patient-rated emotional distress symptom scale consisting of 6 sub-factors (Depression, Anxiety, Anger, Alcohol Use, Substance Use, and Sleep Disturbance). Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale.	Week 1-Treatment
Primary	PROMIS Emotional Distress Index	This measure is a 43-item patient-rated emotional distress symptom scale consisting of 6 sub-factors (Depression, Anxiety, Anger, Alcohol Use, Substance Use, and Sleep Disturbance). Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale.	Week 2-Treatment
Primary	PROMIS Emotional Distress Index	This measure is a 43-item patient-rated emotional distress symptom scale consisting of 6 sub-factors (Depression, Anxiety, Anger, Alcohol Use, Substance Use, and Sleep Disturbance). Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale.	Week 3-Treatment
Primary	PROMIS Emotional Distress Index	This measure is a 43-item patient-rated emotional distress symptom scale consisting of 6 sub-factors (Depression, Anxiety, Anger, Alcohol Use, Substance Use, and Sleep Disturbance). Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale.	Week 4-Treatment
Primary	PROMIS Emotional Distress Index	This measure is a 43-item patient-rated emotional distress symptom scale consisting of 6 sub-factors (Depression, Anxiety, Anger, Alcohol Use, Substance Use, and Sleep Disturbance). Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale.	Week 5-Follow-up
Secondary	PROMIS Depression Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated depression symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 0-Baseline
Secondary	PROMIS Depression Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated depression symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 1-Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Depression Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated depression symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 2-Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Depression Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated depression symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 3-Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Depression Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated depression symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 4-Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Depression Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated depression symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 5-Follow-up
Secondary	PROMIS Anxiety Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated anxiety symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 0- Baseline
Secondary	PROMIS Anxiety Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated anxiety symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 1-Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Anxiety Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated anxiety symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 2-Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Anxiety Scale	This measure is a 7-item patient-rated anxiety symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 3-Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Anxiety Scale	This measure is a 7-item patient-rated anxiety symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 4-Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Anxiety Scale	This measure is a 7-item patient-rated anxiety symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 5-Follow-up
Secondary	PROMIS Anger Scale	This measure is a 5-item patient-rated anger symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 0- Baseline
Secondary	PROMIS Anger Scale	This measure is a 5-item patient-rated anger symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 1- Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Anger Scale	This measure is a 5-item patient-rated anger symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 2- Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Anger Scale	This measure is a 5-item patient-rated anger symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 3- Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Anger Scale	This measure is a 5-item patient-rated anger symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 4- Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Anger Scale	This measure is a 5-item patient-rated anger symptom scale. Each symptom is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 5- Follow-up
Secondary	PROMIS Alcohol Negative Consequences Scale	This measure is a 7-item patient-rated index of alcohol-related problems. Each item is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 0- Baseline
Secondary	PROMIS Alcohol Negative Consequences Scale	This measure is a 7-item patient-rated index of alcohol-related problems. Each item is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 1- Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Alcohol Negative Consequences Scale	This measure is a 7-item patient-rated index of alcohol-related problems. Each item is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 2- Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Alcohol Negative Consequences Scale	This measure is a 7-item patient-rated index of alcohol-related problems. Each item is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 3- Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Alcohol Negative Consequences Scale	This measure is a 7-item patient-rated index of alcohol-related problems. Each item is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 4- Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Alcohol Negative Consequences Scale	This measure is a 7-item patient-rated index of alcohol-related problems. Each item is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 5 (Always).	Week 5- Follow-up
Secondary	PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated index of sleep disturbance. Each item is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very Much).	Week 0- Baseline
Secondary	PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated index of sleep disturbance. Each item is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very Much).	Week 1- Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated index of sleep disturbance. Each item is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very Much).	Week 2- Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated index of sleep disturbance. Each item is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very Much).	Week 3- Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated index of sleep disturbance. Each item is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very Much).	Week 4- Treatment
Secondary	PROMIS Sleep Disturbance Scale	This measure is an 8-item patient-rated index of sleep disturbance. Each item is rated over a 7-day period on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (Not at all) to 5 (Very Much).	Week 5- Follow-up
Secondary	COVID-19 Coping Self-Efficacy	This measure is a 15-item author-constructed patient-rated index of COVID-19 Coping Self-Efficacy	Week 0- Baseline
Secondary	COVID-19 Coping Self-Efficacy	This measure is a 15-item author-constructed patient-rated index of COVID-19 Coping Self-Efficacy	Week 1- Treatment
Secondary	COVID-19 Coping Self-Efficacy	This measure is a 15-item author-constructed patient-rated index of COVID-19 Coping Self-Efficacy	Week 2- Treatment
Secondary	COVID-19 Coping Self-Efficacy	This measure is a 15-item author-constructed patient-rated index of COVID-19 Coping Self-Efficacy	Week 3- Treatment
Secondary	COVID-19 Coping Self-Efficacy	This measure is a 15-item author-constructed patient-rated index of COVID-19 Coping Self-Efficacy	Week 4- Treatment
Secondary	COVID-19 Coping Self-Efficacy	This measure is a 15-item author-constructed patient-rated index of COVID-19 Coping Self-Efficacy	Week 5- Follow-up
Secondary	Sheehan Disability Scale	This measure is a 3-item patient-rated index of level of functional impairment.	Week 0- Baseline
Secondary	Sheehan Disability Scale	This measure is a 3-item patient-rated index of level of functional impairment.	Week 5- Follow-up