Over the past several decades the public opinion about cannabinoids and marijuana has transformed a lot. Cannabinoids, marijuana, and THC products are now allowed for medical use in many states. Substantially fewer states have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, but even that would have been unimaginable even just ten or fifteen years ago.
Cannabinoids are any substances derived from the cannabis plant (essentially, the marijuana plant). In spite of their recent legalization (in some states), we’re still discovering new things about cannabinoids. It’s a common notion that cannabinoid compounds have extensive healing attributes. But research implies a strong connection between the use of cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms but there are also contradictory studies.
Cannabinoids come in many forms
Today, cannabinoids can be used in a number of varieties. Whatever name you want to put on it, pot or weed is not the only form. Other forms can include topical spreads, edibles, inhaled vapors, pills, and more.
The forms of cannabinoids available will vary state by state, and most of those forms are still actually federally illegal if the amount of THC is over 0.3%. That’s why most individuals tend to be rather cautious about cannabinoids.
The long-term complications and side effects of cannabinoid use are not well known and that’s the issue. A good example is some new research into how your hearing is affected by cannabinoid use.
Research into cannabinoids and hearing
A myriad of conditions are believed to be effectively managed by cannabinoids. Seizures, vertigo, nausea, and more seem to be helped with cannabinoids, according to anecdotally available evidence. So researchers made a decision to see if cannabinoids could help with tinnitus, too.
Turns out, cannabinoids may actually trigger tinnitus. Ringing in the ears was documented, according to the study, by 20% of the participants who used cannabinoids. And that’s in individuals who had never experienced tinnitus before. Furthermore, marijuana users were 20-times more likely to report experiencing tinnitus symptoms within 24 hours of consumption.
And for individuals who already experience ringing in the ears, using marijuana would actually worsen the symptoms. Put simply, there’s some fairly convincing evidence that cannabinoids and tinnitus don’t really mix all that well.
It should be noted that smoking has also been associated with tinnitus and the research wasn’t clear on how participants were using cannabinoids.
Unclear causes of tinnitus
Just because this link has been found doesn’t automatically mean the root causes are all that well known. That cannabinoids can have an influence on the middle ear and on tinnitus is pretty clear. But what’s producing that impact is far less evident.
Research, undoubtedly, will continue. Cannabinoids today come in so many selections and types that comprehending the underlying link between these substances and tinnitus might help individuals make smarter choices.
Don’t fall for miracle cures
In recent years, there has been lots of marketing hype around cannabinoids. That’s partly because mindsets associated with cannabinoids are swiftly changing (and, to an extent, is also an indication of a desire to get away from opioids). But some negative effects can come from the use of cannabinoids, particularly with regards to your hearing and this is demonstrated in this new research.
You’ll never be able to avoid all of the cannabinoid aficionados and devotees in the world–the marketing for cannabinoids has been particularly aggressive lately.
But this research certainly indicates a powerful connection between tinnitus and cannabinoids. So if you are dealing with tinnitus–or if you’re worried about tinnitus–it may be worth avoiding cannabinoids if you can, no matter how many advertisements for CBD oil you might come across. The connection between cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms is uncertain at best, so it’s worth exercising some caution.
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References
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lio2.479
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5855477/
https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/aaohnsf/82180