Cannabidiol Effects on Blood Alcohol Level and Intoxication

Colorado State University37 enrolled

Overview

The main objectives of this study were to test if 2 different doses of Cannabidiol (compared to placebo) alter 1) breath alcohol concentration, 2) craving and subjective responses to alcohol or 3) cognitive performance following a standard dose of alcohol.

Cannabidiol (CBD), is commonly found in the cannabis plant and has shown promise in treating alcohol use disorders (AUD). In this within-subjects, placebo-controlled, crossover study, the investigators explored the effects of two doses (200mg and 30mg) of plant-based CBD (compared to placebo CBD) on blood alcohol level, subjective effects of alcohol, craving and cognition over the course 4 hours after subjects consume a standardized dose of alcohol. This pilot study was conducted at Colorado State University and volunteers were recruited from the local community. 36 individuals completed at least 1 study session and 22 completed all three sessions. At each session they received either placebo 30mg oral CBD or 200mg oral CBD prior to being given a standard dose of alcohol. They then remained in our laboratory for 4 hours and completed cognitive testing using the NIH toolbox Cognitive Battery, breath alcohol level measurements and self-reported intoxication ratings (using the The Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale \[BAES\] and the The Subjective Effects of Alcohol Scale \[SEAS\]) and reported their craving levels using the Alcohol Urge Questionnaire (AUQ) every 30 minutes. They also provided 3 blood samples to measure blood-CBD levels at each session (prior to receiving the CBD, 25 minutes post-CBD ingestion and again 60 minutes later). Study sessions were separated by at least one week.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Enrollment

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder

Interventions

200mg Cannabidiol oral solutionDIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

200mg cannabidiol administered in the laboratory prior to a standard dose of alcohol. The water-soluble product is standardized to 5.0% cannabidiol, 0.0% THC and composed of reverse-osmosis water, gum arabic, cannabidiol, MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) oil and citric acid. The same lot of Caliper water soluble CBD was used for both the 30 mg and 200 mg test variable. All CBD was sourced from the same lot of CDB isolate. The Caliper commercial product conforms to all standards set forth by the CDPHE (Colorado Dept of Public Health and Environment).

30mg Cannabidiol oral solutionDIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

30mg cannabidiol administered in the laboratory prior to a standard dose of alcohol. The water-soluble product is standardized to 5.0% cannabidiol, 0.0% THC and composed of reverse-osmosis water, gum arabic, cannabidiol, MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) oil and citric acid. The same lot of Caliper water soluble CBD was used for both the 30 mg and 200 mg test variable. All CBD was sourced from the same lot of CDB isolate. The Caliper commercial product conforms to all standards set forth by the CDPHE (Colorado Dept of Public Health and Environment).

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 21 YearsMax age: 60 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * 21-60 years old * able to provide consent * willing to consume CBD during the study * report heavy drinking (\>5 drinks \[\>4 for women\] per occasion on at least 5 days/month in the past 3 months) * not cannabis/CBD naive (i.e. THC or CBD use at least once in the past year), do not use cannabis regularly (i.e., less than monthly over past year), and no past-month cannabis use. Exclusion Criteria: * a regular or recent cannabis user (i.e. they used cannabis more often than monthly during the past year or used cannabis in the past month) * were seeking treatment a substance use disorder (SUD) including AUD, taking medications to treat bipolar or psychotic disorders * using nicotine every day * taking blood thinning medications * reported having a major medical condition contraindicating alcohol or CBD use (e.g., liver disease or heart disease) * reported current suicidality * met criteria for psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder or a current major depressive episode, * reported using illicit drugs in the 30 days prior to beginning the study or tested positive for any illicit drugs * were pregnant, breastfeeding or trying to become pregnant.

Locations (1)

Colorado State University

Fort Collins, Colorado, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC)

Breath alcohol level will be measured using a breathalyzer repeatedly during the experimental session

Time frame: Timepoint 1 (20 minutes after alcohol consumption is complete)

Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC)

Breath alcohol level will be measured using a breathalyzer repeatedly during the experimental session

Time frame: Timepoint 2 (30 minutes after Timepoint 1)

Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC)

Breath alcohol level will be measured using a breathalyzer repeatedly during the experimental session

Time frame: Timepoint 3 (30 minutes after Timepoint 2)

Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC)

Breath alcohol level will be measured using a breathalyzer repeatedly during the experimental session

Time frame: Timepoint 4 (30 minutes after Timepoint 3)

Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC)

Breath alcohol level will be measured using a breathalyzer repeatedly during the experimental session

Time frame: Timepoint 5 (30 minutes after Timepoint 4)

Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC)

Breath alcohol level will be measured using a breathalyzer repeatedly during the experimental session

Time frame: Timepoint 6 (30 minutes after Timepoint 6)

Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC)

Breath alcohol level will be measured using a breathalyzer repeatedly during the experimental session

Time frame: Timepoint 7 (30 minutes after Timepoint 6)

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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Placebo administered in the laboratory prior to a standard dose of alcohol. The placebo was made up for the study and contained reverse-osmosis water, gum arabic, MCT (Medium Chain Triglyceride) oil, citric acid, plus the addition of a natural food color, used at \<0.1%.

Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC)

Breath alcohol level will be measured using a breathalyzer repeatedly during the experimental session

Time frame: Timepoint 8 (30 minutes after Timepoint 9)

Breath Alcohol Concentration (BrAC)

Breath alcohol level will be measured using a breathalyzer repeatedly during the experimental session

Time frame: Timepoint 9 (30 minutes after Timepoint 8)