Lesser-known cannabinoid found to reduce anxiety without intoxicating side-effects

A Washington State University-led study found that a lesser-known cannabinoid could effectively reduce anxiety without the intoxicating effects typically associated with the plant. 

Carrie Cuttler, an associate professor with the university’s Department of Psychology, and colleagues conducted the first human clinical trial on cannabigerol, also known as CBG. 

They investigated the hemp-derived product’s effect on anxiety, stress and mood. The study published in July revealed that 20 milligrams of cannabigerol significantly reduced feelings of anxiety at 20, 45 and 60 minutes after ingestion, and reduced stress at the first time mark. 

Cuttler said while the results are promising, more research on the cannabinoid is necessary. 

“It’s very important, before we put any stock in these findings, that they be replicated,” she said, “Which is what we plan to do conducting more studies.” 

Her research on cannabigerol began a couple years ago when she noticed the cannabinoid started to become widely available. The product was increasing in popularity for its antidepressant effects, however she said no clinical trials had been published verifying these findings in humans. 

“It became incredibly important to study effects on humans, now that it’s hitting the market,” she said.  

Cuttler’s team at WSU and colleagues at the University of California in Los Angeles conducted a double-blind, placebo-control experimental trial with 34 healthy cannabis users. 

She said participants completed two separate sessions a week apart over Zoom. They provided baseline ratings of anxiety, stress and mood before and after ingesting either 20 milligrams of cannabigerol or a placebo tincture. 

Neither the participants nor researchers knew what product was administered during the study, she said, adding that participants were asked to rank their intoxication on a scale from 0-10, and if they experienced any side effects often associated with the psychoactive component of cannabis. 

During the sessions, she said participants ranked their mood, anxiety and stress before and three times after ingesting cannabigerol. This was done at the 20-, 45- and 60-minute marks. 

Cuttler said they also completed activities after ingesting the product like preparing and delivering a small speech, math exercises and a memory test by listing off words briefly shown to them. 

Along with finding that cannabigerol reduced feelings of anxiety and stress, Cuttler said the research also showed the cannabinoid had no subjective intoxicating effects like cognitive or motor impairments, and it didn’t appear to affect people’s appetite, made them sleepy or dried out their eyes.  

She said she was also surprised by one novel outcome — the study indicates the product enhanced memory. 

Participants were able to recall more of the listed words after taking 20 milligrams of cannabigerol than after taking the placebo, Cuttler said. This was shocking, she said, because the psychoactive substance of cannabis, commonly known as THC, impairs memory. 

Cuttler reiterated that these results should be carefully interpreted — the study’s findings should be replicated, and more research should be done on cannabigerol before any claims about the product are made. 

She said her team and colleagues are in the process of designing a new clinical trial, this time taking place in a lab rather than over Zoom. The study will test physiological measures like heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol levels. 

They’re also working on extending research to noncannabis users, she said, as well as cannabigerol’s effects on menopause symptoms in women in another study. 

The full study can be found at nature.com/articles/s41598-024-66879-0.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com.