Cannabidiol is gaining popularity for its ability to cure a wide range of ailments. Most smokers are prompted by stressful situations.
Hundreds of millions of people in the United States smoke, and tens of millions more suffer from smoking-related illnesses. It’s not simple to quit smoking, and those who are struggling with addiction are frequently looking for all the assistance they can get. Studies are increasingly suggesting that cannabidiol may be able to assist people in quitting smoking when other methods have failed. Here’s everything you need to know about CBD smoking cessation if you want to kick your nicotine habit.
How Does CBD Oil Aid Quitting Smoking?
Nicotine addiction is the most common reason smokers struggle to stop. Nicotine addiction affects more Americans than any other substance, according to the CDC. In addition, research shows that nicotine is just as addictive as heroin or cocaine.
In a 2013 study, researchers looked at the effectiveness of cannabidiol on smokers who wished to stop. The CBD study lasted one week and included 24 people. When the participants felt the need to smoke, they were instructed to use the placebo inhalant or CBD first. In the end, the findings were positive: The twelve individuals who received CBD cut down on the number of cigarettes they smoked by around 40%, while the placebo group had no change.
Using CBD Oil to Break the Cycle of Addiction
The cycle of addiction may have a variety of effects on people. Addiction is influenced by both emotional and cellular memory, in addition to environmental stimuli.
Your brain has a natural drive to form connections. Anyone who has tried to quit smoking understands that the desire to light a cigarette becomes stronger as your brain links the job to the act of smoking when sipping your first cup of coffee of the day, or maybe after eating. Breaking the cycle of reinforced behaviours and acquired memories may take a long time, and it might also involve a step that adds another barrier to quitting smoking.
Fortunately, evidence indicates that CBD oil may be able to help lessen the hold of those behavioural triggers.
Cannabidiol disturbed the process of reinforcing and developing a preference for a certain environment based on its connections to addictive drugs, according to a 2017 research on rats. The study ended with comments regarding cannabidiol’s significant “therapeutic potential” in breaking the addiction cycle and preventing relapse in cases where drug use was shown to be contextual, linked to particular settings, circumstances, or memories. As a result, the cannabidiol may aid in the reduction of addictive relationships established between cigarettes and particular situations when you would ritualistically smoke.
While quitting cigarettes takes a lot of self-control and work at first, staying smoke-free may be just as tough. While the further study on cannabidiol’s effect on nicotine addiction is needed, ongoing studies are yielding encouraging findings in terms of using cannabidiol to prevent relapses. ‘Cannabidiol reduced stress-induced and context-induced drug seeking without sedative effects, tolerance, or interference with normal motivated behaviour,’ according to a 2018 research on rats addicted to alcohol. With those findings in mind, the cannabidiol may be able to help you manage the need to smoke when you’re in a particularly stressful or triggering situation.
What Role Does CBD Oil Play in Withdrawal?
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is responsible for emotions of pleasure and contentment. Nicotine causes the release of serotonin, which leads to the feelings of satisfaction and tranquilly associated with cigarette smoking. However, withdrawal starts to set in between smoking and when they are stopped, and the decreased serotonin levels in the brain may lead to a decrease in energy, sadness, anxiety, and moodiness. That’s when you start to want your next smoke.
The addictive and cyclical nature of those serotonin dips and peaks is one of the reasons why nicotine addicts have such a difficult time quitting.
Cannabidiol, like SSRI antidepressants, may activate the 5-HT1A receptor in the brain, which increases serotonin availability. As a result, CBD oil may be useful in reducing irritation, anxiety, and stress associated with quitting smoking.
What is the best CBD oil for those who want to quit smoking?
CBD oil may be administered via a variety of delivery methods. They’ll all be effective in general, but when it comes to quitting smoking, some are better than others.
When it comes to using cannabidiol to quit smoking, a vape pen may be the best option. The habitual aspect of smoking contributes to the difficulty of quitting. The freedom to walk outside and put a cigarette to your lips is a big part of what makes cigarettes both enjoyable and difficult to give up. Vapes provide a way to wean yourself off nicotine without interrupting the physical ritual of smoking.
Final Thoughts
It’s best to get medical counsel before using cannabis to quit smoking, since CBD may interfere with some prescription medications. You may also talk with a cannabis physician who is more knowledgeable about the usage of CBD to treat addiction. It is possible to establish the optimum dose and the safest technique for taking CBD oil this way.