There’s good news for tobacco users who are looking for a solution to help quit smoking. CBD (cannabidiol) can help curb nicotine addiction by reducing cigarette consumption and aiding with withdrawal symptoms.
Cannabidoil, or CBD for short, is one of over a hundred known beneficial cannabinoids that can be extracted from hemp plants. Cannabinoids are naturally occurring compounds found in the human body’s endocannabinoid system – a complex system of signaling nerves that maintain a variety of health and wellbeing functions including immunity, stress levels, inflammation, memory, energy levels, and more.
CBD derived from hemp plants mimic your own body’s cannabinoids by attaching to CB1 and CB2 receptors found naturally throughout the body. CBD offers a wide range of medical benefits including alleviating stress and anxiety, helping with insomnia, and lowering high blood pressure – all symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Plus, it is not psychoactive (meaning it won’t get you high), and it is non-habit forming.
A study in the UK found that a 800 mg oral dose of CBD given to dependent smokers who woke up from a night without smoking were less likely to react to cigarette cues than those who had been given a placebo. Additionally, those who were given CBD had lowered blood pressure.
In another study from the UK, tobacco cigarette users who wished to quit smoking reduced their consumption of cigarettes by about 40% when they reached for CBD whenever they felt a craving.Nicotine is extremely addictive and the withdrawal symptoms that come with trying to quit smoking are often enough to force someone to give up. Beyond fighting the urge to smoke a cigarette, someone trying to quit may be faced with crippling headaches, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, and depression. Since CBD can help regulate pain, mood, and heart health, its use can relieve some physical symptoms of nicotine withdrawal, and help you get through this challenging period of time.
