Full List of Cannabidiol Research Studies – CBD Oil Effects & Benefits

Illustration of cannabis leaf with info and chemical structures next to it.
Written by Nina Julia | Last updated: November 14, 2023

Discover the science behind the effects and benefits of CBD oil with our full list of cannabidiol research. Understanding cannabis has never been easier.

Research on cannabidiol has gone a long way since it first started in the late 1980s. With the progressing legalization across the United States, scientists are now eager to delve deeper into the effects and benefits of CBD oil and the cannabis plant in general.

But with so much research on cannabidiol and its therapeutic qualities, it may be difficult to maneuver the maze of research scattered across the web.

We’ve compiled the most important studies in cannabis and CBD research for you.From pain to anxiety to autoimmune and neurodegenerative diseases, we’ve got you covered.

If you have any questions or want to provide valuable insight into the discussed topics, feel free to leave your feedback in the comment section at the bottom!

Full List of Cannabidiol Research

In this article, we cover the following areas of cannabidiol research:

  • Cannabidiol and anxiety
  • Cannabidiol and psychosis
  • Cannabidiol and arthritis
  • Cannabidiol and cancer
  • Cannabidiol and diabetes
  • Cannabidiol and epilepsy
  • Cannabidiol and nausea
  • Cannabidiol and pain relief

Let’s get started.

Research on Cannabidiol for Anxiety

Cannabidiol holds great potential for treating a wide range of mental disorders, but anxiety is where CBD excels.

While having anxiety may be a risk factor for recreational cannabis use, CBD-only extracts can effectively curb anxious feelings and help sufferers achieve a clear state of mind.

For example, a 2010 study suggested that cannabidiol could significantly reduce post-speech anxiety in people with social anxiety disorders. Brain scans of the subjects showed changes in the areas of the brain responsible for experiencing anxiety.

This study was followed by another one which further supported the claims about anxiolytic properties of cannabidiol.

Research also suggests that CBD oil can be an effective antidepressant. However, this data comes from animal models.

Below you’ll find the most important studies on CBD for anxiety.

Notable Studies on CBD for Anxiety:

Last but not least, CBD can counter the psychoactive effects of THC — the primary psychoactive cannabinoid. At higher doses, THC can backfire, having a negative effect on anxiety. This is why modern cannabis breeders aim at increasing the CBD content in their cannabis strains to reduce the anxiety-inducing effects for their customers.

Research on Cannabidiol for Psychosis

Recent research on CBD has shown it to be a potential new treatment for neurological disorders like psychosis.

CBD might not be as potent as many prescription antipsychotic drugs, but it certainly has fewer side effects and is more cost effective compared to other medications with similar efficacy.

According to PsychCentral, CBD may beat antipsychotics at treating schizophrenia — however, we’re still awaiting more research to confirm or disprove this.

The greatest advantage of CBD oil over conventional antipsychotic drugs is the aforementioned lack of serious side effects. Prescription anxiety pills can cause social withdrawal, loss of motivation, and recurring anxiety. These adverse reactions aren’t a problem with CBD.

On top of that, CBD doesn’t only mask the symptoms of psychosis. Instead, it seems to reach the root of the illness and bring mental health back to a normal state by regulating the endocannabinoid system, and the neurotransmitters it interacts with like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.

Notable Studies on Cannabidiol for Psychosis:

Research on Cannabidiol for Arthritis

Arthritis is a complex illness involving chronic inflammation of one or more joints in the body. There are over 100 different types of arthritis, but inflammation is their common denominator.

Cannabidiol’s well-known anti-inflammatory effects has lead researchers to test CBD as a potential natural alternative to conventional arthritis treatment options. Even though cannabidiol research in terms of arthritis is still in its infancy, the current results are promising, to say the least.

Studies performed on lab rats have shown that CBD dramatically reduces a case of acute arthritis that is an underlying cause of different types of joint disorders.

Another study have found that CBD’s indirect interaction with the endocannabinoid system can reduce the pain caused by several forms of arthritis, including the prevalent rheumatoid arthritis. However, it is unclear whether this is caused by CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties or by its analgesic effects.

All in all, cannabidiol has a great chance of becoming a natural and safe alternative to treating long-term joint inflammation and various forms of arthritis.

Notable Studies on Cannabidiol for Arthritis:

Suffering from joint inflammation? Explore our guide to CBD oils for arthritis and learn how cannabidiol can help.

Research on Cannabidiol for Cancer

In this section, we dive into the latest research on cannabidiol and cancer.

The medical community has already investigated the anti-inflammatory properties of CBD, but they’re currently trying to figure out the reason behind cannabidiol’s ability to inhibit cell proliferation in certain types of cancer.

A study conducted in 2007 by California Pacific Medical Center concluded that CBD could potentially control the spread of malignant breast tumors and stop metastasis — the process in which cancerous cells spread to different regions of the body.

Since that discovery, other studies have suggested that cannabidiol has strong inhibitory effects on different types of cancer, including leukemiabreast cancercolon cancer, and certain forms of brain tumors.

CBD has also been shown to stop the growth of benign tumors as well. Still, the exact inhibitory mechanisms behind the anti-tumor properties of cannabidiol remain unknown.

Notable Studies on Cannabidiol for Cancer:

The research on the anti-tumor properties of cannabidiol gains momentum each month. If you don’t want to miss anything related to cannabidiol research in every area of science, sign up to our mailing list and keep your weekly dose of CBD news in your inbox.

Research on Cannabidiol for Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the most troubling diseases on society and the actual term “diabetes” can refer to different metabolic conditions related to high blood sugar.

Type I diabetes is triggered when the body cannot produce insulin, a natural hormone taking part in the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream.

Type II diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t respond properly to insulin, which results in increased blood sugar levels and widespread inflammation and damage.

According to recent studies, CBD and other cannabinoids may serve as potential medications for treating both types of diabetes. Cannabidiol has a positive effect on an array of metabolic disorders, but its influence on diabetes is what engages scientists the most.

In addition, CBD has been shown to prevent diabetes-induced blindness by stimulating the activity of an enzyme known as glutamine synthetase. Also, cannabidiol seems to mitigate the symptoms of albuminuria, a disease that’s strongly linked to diabetic nephropathy, a progressive kidney disease caused by chronic diabetes.

Notable Studies on Cannabidiol for Diabetes:

Research on Cannabidiol for Epilepsy

Recent studies have pointed to Cannabidiol as an effective treatment option for epilepsy, even for its intractable (treatment-resistant) froms. Researchers suggest that CBD might have a measurable and, more importantly, statistically significant positive effect in alleviating the symptoms of epilepsy and reducing the number and intensity of seizures.

While the majority of cannabidiol research for epilepsy revolves around animals and in vitro models, FDA-approved trials on human patients have already proved CBD to be remarkably effective for treating seizures, especially among children.

As mentioned, CBD may succeed where traditional medications fail. This involves the cases of treatment-resistant epilepsy, such as Dravet syndrome, a rare form of epilepsy in children. These findings are critically important for parents whose children respond weakly or not at all to pharmaceutical anti-seizure drugs.

Notable Studies on Cannabidiol for Epilepsy:

The thriving world of cannabidiol research makes people crave more knowledge about the nature of the cannabis plant and the way how its ingredients can help those who have already been written off by doctors using conventional treatment methods.

Research on Cannabidiol for Nausea

Cannabidiol can help alleviate many symptoms, but nausea is another area where CBD excels.

Although the exact mechanisms behind these properties aren’t fully understood, scientists believe that the large number of cannabidiol’s positive effects come from its interactions with the endocannabinoid system.

The first trials investigating the antiemetic properties of CBD were conducted on animals, mostly on rats and shrews. Researchers discovered that CBD was indeed able to suppress nausea and vomiting in those models.

More recent clinical studies conducted on human subjects support the above findings. Cannabidiol has been proven to regulate vomiting and alleviate nausea-like symptoms in a wide range of health conditions. On top of that, scientists also confirmed that CBD can help reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting in cancer patients.

There are currently several patented medicines basing on cannabidiol in the United States, and in European countries such as the Netherlands, doctors have been prescribing CBD-rich extracts for nausea for several years now.

Notable Studies on Cannabidiol for Nausea:

Research on Cannabidiol for Pain Relief

CBD can be an effective mild-to-moderately strong painkiller, as research suggests. Doctors are prescribing cannabidiol as an analgesic for patients with chronic pain, neuropathic pains, migraines, and more.

While the exact mechanism behind CBD’s analgesic properties are yet to be fully understood, this natural compound is considered one of the safest cannabinoids and has been shown to produce synergy with other cannabis compounds in cases of severe pain and inflammation.

CBD and other cannabinoids have also been found to have effective painkilling properties for terminal cancer sufferers who don’t respond to opioid analgesic any longer. These findings imply that CBD might be an effective alternative to powerful prescription drugs that lay waste to the already ravaged health of terminally ill patients.

Notable Studies on Cannabidiol for Nausea:

If you’re in need of safe and effective pain relief, the cannabidiol may be your best bet. There’s much evidence supporting the strong analgesic properties of CBD. There are also many CBD oils on the market to choose from, which might be overwhelming for those just getting started with cannabis.

Did you just see yourself when reading the above? Then you need to read our guide on choosing CBD oil for pain relief — with CFAH’s recommendations based on our own experience.

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Nina created CFAH.org following the birth of her second child. She was a science and math teacher for 6 years prior to becoming a parent — teaching in schools in White Plains, New York and later in Paterson, New Jersey.

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