Cannabidiol in Youth Alcohol Use Disorder

Summary

The goal of this study is to test cannabidiol (CBD) as a potentially effective candidate medication for youth alcohol use disorder (AUD). To accomplish this goal, this study will use a randomized, double-blind, within-subjects crossover design. In counterbalanced order, 50 youth (ages 16-22) will receive 600 mg of CBD or placebo three hours before a neuroimaging and behavioral assessment paradigm. The total amount of time the participant will be in the study is approximately one month.

Timeline

Start

2022-10-01

Primary completion

2024-06-25

Completion

2024-06-25

Outcome

Missed primary endpoint

registry analysis (superiority test); Cannabidiol (600mg) vs Placebo; p = 0.33; Mixed Models Analysis NCT05317546 ↗

registry analysis (superiority test); Cannabidiol (600mg) vs Placebo; p = 0.75; Mixed Models Analysis NCT05317546 ↗

registry analysis (superiority test); Cannabidiol (600mg) vs Placebo; p >0.05; Mixed Models Analysis NCT05317546 ↗

registry analysis (superiority test); Cannabidiol (600mg) vs Placebo; p = 0.82; Mixed Models Analysis NCT05317546 ↗

registry analysis (superiority test); Cannabidiol (600mg) vs Placebo; p = 0.21; Mixed Models Analysis NCT05317546 ↗

paper There were no effects of acute CBD administration, compared to placebo, on any outcomes of interest. PMID 40500407 ↗

Publications

• Kirkland AE, Browning BD, Meredith LR, Robertson E, Herring C, Tomko RL, Gray KM, Squeglia LM. The neural and psychophysiological effects of cannabidiol in youth with alcohol use disorder: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2025 Sep;50(10):1482-1492. doi: 10.1038/s41386-025-02141-z. Epub 2025 Jun 11.

Drugs

Evaluation	Drug	Modality	Dose	Route
Subject	Cannabidiol	Other / unclassified	600 mg	—

Indications