Can CBD Help You With Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction?

Intro 

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Although tar has long been considered the carcinogenic agent in cigarettes, the new findings further suggest that nicotine and compounds derived from it may also help promote the development and progression of Cancer.

According to the CDC, cigarette smoking can cause Cancer almost anywhere in your body:

Bladder

Blood (acute myeloid leukemia)

Cervix

Colon and rectum (colorectal)

Esophagus

Kidney and ureter

Larynx

Liver

Oropharynx (includes parts of the throat, tongue, soft palate, and the tonsils)

Pancreas

Stomach

Trachea, bronchus and lung

With cigarette smoking as the leading cause of preventable deaths, it still remains one of the most difficult habits to kick. Globally, more than 1.1 billion people smoke nicotine cigarettes. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), approximately 14% of Americans over the age of 18 (which translates to 34.3 million people), smoke cigarettes and over 8 million use smokeless tobacco. A primary addictive driver of cigarette smoking is nicotine withdrawal.

 

Nicotine Addiction 

Nicotine addiction is the number one reason cigarette smokers struggle to quit. The CDC has found that more people in the U.S.A. are addicted to nicotine more than any other drug. With a physical addiction, all you need to do is endure the time your body needs to flush nicotine out of your system and bring your body back to normal functioning.

Behavioral addictions are more complex because the brain of an addicted person is wired to certain processes that often lead to the pleasurable sensation associated with inhaling cigarette smoke.

That’s why nicotine replacement therapies such as nicotine patches and gums demonstrate low cessation success rates. 

Nicotine Withdrawal

Nicotine withdrawal is a result of nicotine addiction. When you smoke cigarettes, nicotine is absorbed into your bloodstream and is transported to the brain. This is where it is occupied by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. This process causes the release of acetylcholine, the primary neurotransmitter of the parasympathetic nervous system, the system that controls smooth muscle contraction, blood vessel dilation, slowing of the heart rate and increases bodily secretions. Steadily, smoking can increase the number of acetylcholine receptors in your brain. The release of acetylcholine leads to increased activity in the brain, as well as increasing the amount of dopamine. This reinforces the behaviour of smoking because the reward pathways are activated when you smoke.

The following are the more common nicotine withdrawal symptoms:

Insomnia

Headache

Sore Throat

Constipation

Restlessness 

Intense Cravings

Sluggish Thinking

Decreased Heart Rate

Hunger Depressive Feelings 

Nausea and Abdominal Cramping

Kick The Habit: Can CBD Assist You?

In 2013, a study by the University College London demonstrated CBD’s potential to help cigarette smokers stop their use of tobacco. In the study, 24 smokers were given either an inhaler of CBD or an inhaler with a placebo. The smokers were instructed to utilize the inhaler when they had the urge to smoke a cigarette. At the end of the week-long study, those given the CBD inhaler smoked 40% fewer cigarettes. 

While CBD is not considered a replacement for medical treatment and/or a cure for ailments, illnesses and diseases, there is optimism that it may become an essential component for treatments (based on results of studies on the subject and anecdotal evidence). Over the years, CBD has become a "hot topic" and it's increasingly acknowledged that the Endocannabinoid System plays a massive role in nicotine addiction. 

In summary, cigarette smokers that are attempting to kick the habit, can utilize CBD products as a practicable solution. Premium CBD (from a reputable source) can control tobacco withdrawal symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, headaches and focus issues. By making you less susceptible to cigarette cues, CBD can assist the process of ignoring cigarette cravings. Another helpful solution, you can smoke CBD joints or CBD liquid vapes as a temporary alternative to cigarettes on your way to overcoming nicotine and tobacco addictions. 

 

Reference Links:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. QuickStats: Number of Deaths from 10 Leading Causes—National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2013:62(08);155. [accessed 2017 Apr 20]. Link: Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm

Graham, Sarah. (2003). Nicotine, Too, May Promote Cancer. Link: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nicotine-too-may-promote/

Hindocha, C., Freeman, T. P., Grabski, M., Stroud, J. B., Crudgington, H., Davies, A. C., Das, R. K., Lawn, W., Morgan, C., & Curran, H. V. (2018). Cannabidiol reverses attentional bias to cigarette cues in a human experimental model of tobacco withdrawal. Addiction (Abingdon, England), 113(9), 1696–1705. Advance online publication. Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6099309/

Kandola, Aaron, Westphalen, Dena (Medically Reviewed). (2020). Nicotine withdrawal symptoms and how to cope. MedicalNewsToday. Link: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323012

Morgan, C. J., Das, R. K., Joye, A., Curran, H. V., & Kamboj, S. K. (2013). Cannabidiol reduces cigarette consumption in tobacco smokers: preliminary findings. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23685330/#:~:text=Over%20the%20treatment%20week%2C%20placebo,this%20effect%20at%20follow%2Dup.

Parker, L. A., et al. (2011). Regulation of nausea and vomiting by cannabinoids. British journal of pharmacology, 163(7), 1411–1422. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2010.01176.x

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.The Health Consequences of Smoking—50 Years of Progress: A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014 [accessed 2017 Apr 20]. Link: Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: What It Means to You. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2010 [accessed 2017 Apr 20]. Link: Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/effects_cig_smoking/index.htm

World Health Organisation. WHO global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco smoking 2015. Geneva, Switzerland: WHO Press; 2015.

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