Safety and Efficacy of Cannabidiol (CBD) for Symptoms of PTSD in Adults

Summary

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder than may develop following a traumatic event including serious incidents, natural or human-caused disasters, violence, death of a loved one, receipt of traumatic news, or serious illness/hospitalization. While half of US adults experience trauma in their lifetime, most do not develop PTSD. However, those who do develop the disorder may have significant impairments and risk for functional dysfunction across multiple domains. While short term symptoms are the most common, some individuals develop chronic PTSD. These individuals may experience frightening and intrusive thoughts and memories of the event (flashbacks), have sleep disturbances, feel numb or detached, and be easily startled (hypervigilance). This trial is a double-blind placebo controlled study of cannabidiol (CBD) for symptoms of PTSD in adults using liquid structure Formulation (Nantheia ATL5). Participants complete three weeks of baseline data collection including assessments of activity and sleep. Intervention is Nantheia ATL5 or placebo. Dose is initiated at 400mg BID and maintained over 8 weeks. Standardized symptom profile measurements, clinician assessments, laboratory testing, collection of inflammatory biomarkers, and suicide screening is completed throughout. Age- and gender-matched healthy population participants are enrolled and complete baseline data collection only. All participants may complete optional functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Timeline

Start

2022-12-01

Primary completion

2028-12

Completion

2029-04

Publications

• Background Association, A. P. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual 5. Washington D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.
• Background Association, A. P. (2017). Medications for PTSD. Retrieved from https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments/medications
• Background Stanciu CN, Brunette MF, Teja N, Budney AJ. Evidence for Use of Cannabinoids in Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, and PTSD: A Systematic Review. Psychiatr Serv. 2021 Apr 1;72(4):429-436. doi: 10.1176/appi.ps.202000189. Epub 2021 Feb 3.
• Background Wall MB, Pope R, Freeman TP, Kowalczyk OS, Demetriou L, Mokrysz C, Hindocha C, Lawn W, Bloomfield MA, Freeman AM, Feilding A, Nutt D, Curran HV. Dissociable effects of cannabis with and without cannabidiol on the human brain's resting-state functional connectivity. J Psychopharmacol. 2019 Jul;33(7):822-830. doi: 10.1177/0269881119841568. Epub 2019 Apr 23.
• Background Sholler DJ, Schoene L, Spindle TR. Therapeutic Efficacy of Cannabidiol (CBD): A Review of the Evidence from Clinical Trials and Human Laboratory Studies. Curr Addict Rep. 2020 Sep;7(3):405-412. doi: 10.1007/s40429-020-00326-8. Epub 2020 Jul 25.
• Background Marx BP, Lee DJ, Norman SB, Bovin MJ, Sloan DM, Weathers FW, Keane TM, Schnurr PP. Reliable and clinically significant change in the clinician-administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 and PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 among male veterans. Psychol Assess. 2022 Feb;34(2):197-203. doi: 10.1037/pas0001098. Epub 2021 Dec 23.
• Background Hurd YL. Leading the Next CBD Wave-Safety and Efficacy. JAMA Psychiatry. 2020 Apr 1;77(4):341-342. doi: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.4157. No abstract available.
• Background Elsaid S, Kloiber S, Le Foll B. Effects of cannabidiol (CBD) in neuropsychiatric disorders: A review of pre-clinical and clinical findings. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2019;167:25-75. doi: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2019.06.005. Epub 2019 Aug 28.
• Background Andrewes DG, Jenkins LM. The Role of the Amygdala and the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex in Emotional Regulation: Implications for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Neuropsychol Rev. 2019 Jun;29(2):220-243. doi: 10.1007/s11065-019-09398-4. Epub 2019 Mar 14.
• Background Babson KA, Sottile J, Morabito D. Cannabis, Cannabinoids, and Sleep: a Review of the Literature. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2017 Apr;19(4):23. doi: 10.1007/s11920-017-0775-9.
• Background Elms L, Shannon S, Hughes S, Lewis N. Cannabidiol in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Case Series. J Altern Complement Med. 2019 Apr;25(4):392-397. doi: 10.1089/acm.2018.0437. Epub 2018 Dec 13.
• Background Hori H, Kim Y. Inflammation and post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2019 Apr;73(4):143-153. doi: 10.1111/pcn.12820. Epub 2019 Feb 21.
• Background Jackson BN, Weathers FW, Jeffirs SM, Preston TJ, Brydon CM. The revised Clinician-Administered PTSD scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5-R): Initial psychometric evaluation in a trauma-exposed community sample. J Trauma Stress. 2025 Feb;38(1):40-52. doi: 10.1002/jts.23093. Epub 2024 Aug 23.

Drugs

Indications