If quitting cigarettes seems like a monumental task, then maybe it’s time to try some cannabidiol (CBD).
A resounding amount of recently published studies are proving that the therapeutic compound derived from marijuana could help people smoke fewer cigarettes or quit them altogether.
A May study published in the journal Addiction found that CBD helped reduce the strength and satisfaction of smoking triggers such as images of ashtrays, lighters, or groups of smokers.
“Cannabidiol can reduce some aspects of nicotine withdrawal in dependent cigarette smokers, which include the attentional bias to and liking of drug cues, but did not affect craving withdrawal, cognition or impulsivity associated with withdrawal,” said researcher Chandni Hindocha, a doctoral student at the Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit of University College London. “This is likely because we gave people a single dose of the drug.”
Another study published this year in the Neuropsychopharmacology medical journal found that can help in controlling impulses to addictive substances like drugs, alcohol, and tobacco.
A growing number of New York residents are also turning to smoking CBD-infused cannabis pre-rolled joints as an alternative to tobacco, Merry Jane reports.
“We have people coming in on their lunch breaks, buying pre-rolls to smoke, whether it’s for anxiety or for quitting cigarettes,”explained Tia Tagliaferro, a chief operating officer at Hemp Garden, a Manhattan dispensary that sells CBD flower, vape oils, topicals, and other products.
“Because CBD works with the endocannabinoid system, it’s a regulation tool that will bring the body back to homeostasis,” Tagliaferro added. “It will help with sleeping, anxiety, and bring you back to a calm state — which is why people turn to cigarettes in the first place, they’re looking for an outlet for their stress.”