This article should in essence, be about the risks (or rewards) of taking CBD and nicotine. And while we will get into that, there’s more to be discussed.
If you put research into CBD & nicotine, you will, as we did, find research and articles which suggest that CBD may actually be an effective tool in fighting nicotine addiction.
Now, full disclosure early on here, we can’t actually talk to you about the possible positive health benefits of CBD in a way that promotes the product, due to UK law (but we certainly can’t stop you Googling it).
We are not here to tell you something is definitely true; we are merely here to give you the information necessary to help you form your own opinion.
But before we get there, let’s start with the original purpose of this article.
Should you Take CBD with Nicotine?
At Plant&Hemp, we always err on the side of caution when it comes to mixing CBD with anything else, from medication to nicotine.
While there is no research that actively states taking nicotine and CBD together can have a negative impact on you, there is evidence to suggest that CBD can interact with various medications.
As far as we are concerned, our advice will always be the same, if you are taking CBD oils, don’t mix them with anything else, just in case.
We are aware that CBD oil is vaped alongside nicotine by some people, and if that is your choice, that’s fair enough. But we would always suggest being careful.
CBD as a Cure for Nicotine Addiction?
Here’s the interesting thing, if you want to start taking CBD, and you want to stop consuming nicotine before you do, there is growing evidence to suggest that one may actually help with the other.
Again, we are not saying it does, we are not advertising CBD as a definite cure for addiction, or even saying that it will definitely help, we are merely here to report the facts as they currently stand.
So, with that in mind, let’s take a brief delve into the science behind the possibility of CBD helping fight nicotine addiction.
CBD is a phytocannabinoid, which is a cannabinoid derived from plants, but to understand the possibilities of CBD’s effect on addiction, we first have to consider the endocannabinoid system.
Endocannabinoids are molecules which occur naturally in the human body, they have an impact on many things, including pain, memory, and more.
This system also has an effect on serotonin receptors, which are known to play a part in addictive behaviour.
So where does CBD figure into this? Simple, CBD works with the endocannabinoid system and has shown the possibility of decreasing attentional bias.
Attentional bias is, put as simply as possible, the thing which makes you more likely to want a cigarette in the immediate period after stopping smoking.
By reacting with the serotonin receptors in the brain, which are controlled to an extent by the aforementioned endocannabinoid system, it is possible that CBD can soften the desire for nicotine, therefore helping withdrawal symptoms, and making it less likely that one will return to nicotine use.
The Verdict
So, taking all the available evidence into account, is CBD a cure for nicotine addiction?
The honest answer is, probably not, on its own at least. Willpower is certainly required, it is fair to say that taking CBD in any form will not immediately cause you to forget about nicotine and never crave it again.
However, let us consider a supplementary question, can CBD help a ‘Nico’ addiction?
Here, the answer is less black and white, and there is definitely evidence to suggest it’s possible. Everybody reacts in different ways to CBD, so even if you know someone who has tried CBD and found it helps them come off nicotine, it may not have the same effect on you.
On the flip side of that, however, if you speak to someone who has found CBD did not help them in the same circumstance, that isn’t to say there is no chance it could help you.
There is enough evidence for research into the matter to continue. A 2018 study by the Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit of University College London (catchy name, right?) showed definite potential, and we can safely assume more research will be carried out.
So, to conclude, should these two chemicals be taken together? Probably not. Can CBD help you overcome nicotine addiction? Maybe.
Final question. Is it worth trying CBD to battle nicotine addiction? That is for you to decide, we are not here to tell you it’ll definitely work (nor can we do so legally), but if the evidence that exists is enough for you to try, then we can help you with that.
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