Three Key Benefits of CBD Extracts in Managing Schizophrenia Symptoms
CBD oil is a yellow, viscous liquid obtained from processing the tissues of the cannabis plant, particularly its industrial and specialized medical varieties that naturally produce higher concentrations of the compound. Unlike its more famous cannabinoid counterpart, THC, CBD does not have pronounced psychoactive effects. In other words, unlike THC, CBD use does not cause the intoxication typically associated with recreational cannabis and its extracts. For this reason, CBD is widely used in the treatment of various physical and mental illnesses and injuries among patients of all ages, including infants.
Overall, CBD does have some psychoactive effects on the human body, but these manifest not as altered perception or euphoria, but as sedative and analgesic effects on the nervous system, as well as a modulatory effect on the functioning of certain organ systems and the overall balance (homeostasis) of the body. This effect is achieved through CBD’s ability to influence CB1 and CB2 receptors, which are key components of the endocannabinoid system. This system is responsible for modulating the strength and speed of nerve signal transmission in the central and peripheral nervous systems, thereby coordinating the function of all organs and tissues in the human body.
More specifically, CBD use stimulates the production and retention of the endogenous cannabinoid compound 2-AG in brain tissues, which has a stimulating effect on the aforementioned CB receptors. In addition, CBD interacts with many other receptors that regulate the nervous system and support healthy and effective functioning of key brain sectors, including serotonin receptors, GPR555, and TRPV-1.
Such interactions with neural receptors have a noticeable effect on the functioning of the nervous system as a whole, as well as on the regulation of certain brain activities. This has led to the consideration of endocannabinoids, and CBD as a stimulator of their production and retention, as potential alternative therapies for conditions such as PTSD, Alzheimer’s disease, various chronic forms of anxiety and depression, disorders associated with increased aggression and paranoia, a range of neurodegenerative and epileptic diseases, and even various forms of autism and schizophrenia. This article focuses on the potential uses of CBD in treating different forms of schizophrenia, specifically three already identified effective aspects of the compound’s action that can be used to modulate the symptoms of the disease.
Brief Overview of Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia spectrum disorders include neurological and behavioral abnormalities that result in serious and chronic changes in perception and thought processes, leading to a dramatic change in personality. Although the disease is relatively rare, the WHO estimates that about 1% of the world’s population suffers from it in some form, and this number is gradually increasing as the global population grows.
Psychiatrists formally divide the characteristic symptoms of schizophrenia into two groups: so-called positive and negative symptoms. “Positive” symptoms refer to manifestations that distort thinking, perception, and behavior, adding additional burdens to the disease, such as various types of hallucinations (auditory, visual, or affecting other senses) and delusional thinking. “Negative” symptoms refer to the loss or suppression of normal emotional responses and functions, ranging from reduced emotional expression and short-term memory to a complete or near-complete loss of mobility, speech, or the ability to regulate feelings and emotions.
Symptoms typically begin to appear in both men and women between the ages of 16 and 30, though cases have been reported in younger and older age groups. Risk factors include genetic predisposition, environmental influences (especially chronic stress and mental overload), and changes in brain chemistry and activity related to diet and/or the use of certain substances, both legal and illegal. Since the mechanisms of the disease are still not fully understood, these factors are based more on observation and patterns than on strict scientific fact.
Currently, no form of schizophrenia can be effectively cured. The only available medical approach is to try to control the positive symptoms using antipsychotic drugs. While these drugs can temporarily suppress brain activity that causes hallucinations and delusions, they often have severe physiological and especially psychological side effects, sometimes inducing a catatonic state. Negative symptoms are not effectively treatable with medication at all.
CBD Use in Schizophrenia Symptom Management
Various clinical and private trials have found that CBD has antipsychotic, sedative, and neural activity modulating effects in brain tissues, potentially allowing its use in treating various symptoms of schizophrenia. Preliminary trials, mainly involving self-medication by diagnosed individuals, suggest that CBD may be beneficial in therapeutic practice, particularly for improving emotional regulation, control of thought and associative processes, memory, and social interaction among patients with different types and subtypes of the disease.
1. Antipsychotic Properties of CBD
In the context of schizophrenia, “psychosis” refers to symptoms such as hallucinations and delusional thinking and behavior—i.e., the “positive” symptoms. Delusional thinking involves persistent perceptions of reality that do not match actual events, while hallucinations are chronic distortions of sensory perception that can occur in various forms without obvious external stimuli. Both manifestations severely undermine a patient’s ability to function in society and can sometimes make them dangerous to others.
Some studies investigating the link between the endocannabinoid system and neurological dysfunctions in schizophrenia hypothesize that these persistent symptoms may be related to chronic dysfunction in certain brain processing mechanisms due to endocannabinoid system deficiencies. According to these studies, supplementing these deficiencies with CBD may stimulate the production of endogenous cannabinoids or directly modulate CB receptors and related serotonin pathways, thereby reducing or even eliminating such perceptual and cognitive distortions.
Supporting this hypothesis, a larger body of research on CBD as a neuroprotective agent in the treatment and prevention of neurodegenerative diseases indicates that CBD can block destructive stress on brain nerve endings. This protective effect has also been observed in tests involving meningitis-induced damage to memory centers in the brain.
Animal studies show that moderate therapeutic doses of CBD have antipsychotic and calming effects comparable to the widely used antipsychotic haloperidol, but without the catatonic side effects. Specifically, these studies found that CBD significantly reduced “behavioral stereotypies” (abnormal repetitive behaviors), with the strength and duration of the therapeutic effect proportional to the dose. Effective doses in animal models ranged from 120–240 mg of extract per kilogram of body weight, with higher doses (up to 480 mg/kg) producing significant and lasting antipsychotic effects without inducing catalepsy, unlike haloperidol.
Other studies confirmed that CBD had a strong and lasting effect on amphetamine-induced hyperactivity in mice, again without the cataleptic effects seen with haloperidol and clozapine. These findings suggest that CBD may have a unique effect, allowing it to modulate the intensity and manifestation of psychosis, similar to some atypical antipsychotics. Brain imaging of test subjects confirmed that CBD produced neurological effects characteristic of standard antipsychotics, but without causing catalepsy, even at high doses.
Additionally, various forms of CBD extract administration, from oral capsules to intravenous injection, did not show the side effects typical of standard antipsychotics or any signs of toxicity in test subjects. In human trials, including a 19-year-old woman with schizophrenia who experienced severe side effects from standard treatments, daily oral CBD capsules (up to 1500 mg) over four weeks led to significant improvement in both positive and negative symptoms, with no noticeable side effects.
In all these trials, blood analysis showed a significant increase in anandamide concentration, suggesting that CBD’s modulatory effect may be due to increased levels of this endocannabinoid, achieved by slowing the metabolism of psychoactive compounds. Other studies also note CBD’s strong calming effect, including reducing the impact of various psychoactive substances, from stimulants like amphetamines to high concentrations of THC, likely due to CBD’s effect on their metabolism and stimulation of calming anandamide production.
2. CBD and Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia
As previously mentioned, negative symptoms of schizophrenia include the suppression of normal emotional and cognitive processes, such as reduced emotional response to stimuli and impaired short- and long-term memory and associative abilities.
In addition to research on CBD’s use in neurodegenerative diseases (which also involve memory loss and emotional suppression), some studies specifically examining CBD’s effects on negative symptoms of schizophrenia, published in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, report high efficacy. Animal model tests (using rats bred for negative symptoms) showed significant improvements in social behavior, short- and long-term memory, associative memory, and emotional response to both positive and negative stimuli.
It is difficult to say for certain whether these effects will translate to humans. Moreover, due to a lack of in-depth analysis of how CBD affects neural tissues in these experiments, the exact mechanism remains unclear. It is possible, as with neurodegenerative diseases, that CBD’s effect is due to its ability to modulate various serotonin receptors in the brain, restoring their effectiveness in transmitting and retaining signals that regulate emotional responses and memory processes.
3. CBD and Side Effects of Other Schizophrenia Treatments
As noted, antipsychotic drugs can have many severe physiological and psychological side effects, even at relatively low doses. Many users and healthcare professionals report the following side effects from short-term or even single use of antipsychotics:
- Weight gain
- Changes in menstrual cycles (in women)
- Suppressed libido due to hormonal effects (in both sexes)
- Chronic nausea
- Muscle spasms
- Seizures
- Elevated blood sugar and cholesterol
- Depression and apathy
CBD, according to established properties, can reduce or prevent some of these side effects, both individually and as a result of using other psychoactive drugs.
It is important to highlight the clinically proven effectiveness of both CBD and THC, separately and in combination, in treating epileptic seizures, numbness, and muscle spasms. This is due to the neurophysiological effects of cannabinoids on brain centers whose dysfunction causes these symptoms. In certain doses and concentrations, CBD reduces the strength, frequency, and duration of seizures and spasms, and with regular use, can minimize these symptoms even in severe chronic conditions. Experiments comparing CBD to standard antiepileptic drugs show clear advantages in terms of dosage, speed and strength of action, and lack of side effects or contraindications, suggesting its potential use in managing or preventing seizures caused by some antipsychotics.
Similarly, many studies show CBD’s high effectiveness in suppressing nausea and vomiting in various diseases and as side effects of certain medications or therapies, such as chemotherapy. This effect is linked to CBD’s influence on D2 and 5-HT3 receptors, which regulate dopamine and serotonin release. CBD suppresses these receptors’ activity, reducing the neural signals that trigger nausea and vomiting. It also stimulates the release of 5-HT1A, which directly blocks receptors responsible for the vomiting reflex.
This effect may also be related to the retention and stimulation of anandamide production, which has a strong suppressive effect on the molecular mechanisms associated with CB1 receptors responsible for nausea and vomiting.
Finally, regarding cholesterol levels, CBD acts as a relaxant, dilating blood vessels. Combined with its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, this helps prevent the progression of both types of diabetes and related complications, such as atherosclerosis, retinopathy, neuropathies, and cardiovascular diseases.