Cannabis and the brain: investigating the long-term effects of high-CBD cannabis exposure on behaviour in the Long-Evans Rat

Abstract

Cannabis, a drug derived from the plant Cannabis Sativa, is one of the most commonly used drugs worldwide, with a rich history of medicinal application. The increased use of cannabis in recent history has led to a rapid diversification of cannabis strains, each with unique levels of major cannabinoid constituents including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component of cannabis, and cannabidiol (CBD). As social and legislative attitudes towards cannabis begin to change, more people are seeking out this drug for its purported health benefits, many of which are thought to be attributable to CBD. Using four novel high-CBD, low-THC extracts, this research seeks to explore the long-term effects of chronic cannabis exposure on behaviour in a rodent model. Results from this study demonstrate that there are few long-term effects of chronic, high-CBD cannabis exposure on behaviour and that the changes that were observed were not of detriment.