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Cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive component of cannabis, slows nicotine metabolism, according to recent research, which means it could assist tobacco users to control their desire for the next cigarette.
A team of Washington State University researchers investigated the effects of CBD and its primary metabolite on human liver tissue and cell samples, discovering that it inhibited a critical enzyme in nicotine metabolism. Slowing the drug's metabolism may allow nicotine addicts to wait before feeling the need to inhale more of it, along with all the other hazardous substances included in a cigarette smoke. Further research is needed to confirm these effects in humans and define dosage levels, according to WSU professor of pharmaceutical sciences Philip Lazarus. "The whole mission is to decrease harm from smoking, which is not from the nicotine per se, but all the carcinogens and other chemicals that are in tobacco smoke," said Lazarus, senior author of the study published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology. "If we can minimize that harm, it would be a great thing for human health," he said. Cigarette smoking is still a major health problem with one in five people in the US dying every year from smoking-related causes. While often seen as less harmful, many other nicotine delivery methods including vaping, snuffing and chewing also contain chemicals that can cause cancer and other illnesses. In this study, the researchers tested CBD and its major metabolite, meaning what it converts to in the body, 7-hyroxycannabidiol, on microsomes from human liver tissue as well as on microsomes from specialized cell lines that allowed them to focus on individual enzymes related to nicotine metabolism. They found that CBD inhibited several of these enzymes, including the major one for nicotine metabolism, identified as CYP2A6. Other research has found that more than 70% of nicotine is metabolized by this enzyme in the majority of tobacco users. The impact of CBD on this particular enzyme appeared quite strong, inhibiting its activity by 50% at relatively low CBD concentrations. "In other words, it appears that you don't need much CBD to see the effect," said Lazarus. Lazarus' team is currently developing a clinical study to examine the effects of CBD on nicotine levels in smokers, measuring nicotine levels in their blood versus smokers taking a placebo over the course of six to eight hours. Then, they hope to do a much larger study looking at CBD and nicotine addiction. (ANI)
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