Public opinion about marijuana and cannabinoids has changed significantly over the last several decades. Cannabinoids, marijuana, and THC products are now legal for medical usage in many states. The concept that some states (fewer) even allow the recreational use of pot would have been hard to imagine a decade ago.
Any compounds produced by the cannabis plant (the marijuana plant, basically) are known as cannabinoids. Despite their recent legalization (in some states), we’re still discovering new things about cannabinoids. It’s a common idea that cannabinoid compounds have extensive healing qualities. But research implies a strong connection between the use of cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms but there are also conflicting studies.
Many forms of cannabinoids
Today, cannabinoids can be utilized in lots of varieties. It’s not only pot or weed or whatever name you want to put on it. These days, THC and cannabinoids are available in pill form, as inhaled mists, as topical spreads, and more.
The forms of cannabinoids available will differ state by state, and most of those forms are still actually federally illegal if the THC content is over 0.3%. So it’s important to be careful when using cannabinoids.
The issue is that we don’t yet know much about some of the long-term side effects or complications of cannabinoid use. A great example is some new research into how your hearing is affected by cannabinoid use.
Studies connecting hearing to cannabinoids
A myriad of disorders are believed to be effectively treated by cannabinoids. Seizures, vertigo, nausea, and more seem to be helped with cannabinoids, according to anecdotally available evidence. So the researchers wondered if cannabinoids could help treat tinnitus, too.
But what they found was that tinnitus symptoms can actually be triggered by the use of cannabinoids. Ringing in the ears was documented, according to the study, by 20% of the participants who used cannabinoids. And that’s in people who had never experienced tinnitus before. What’s more, marijuana users were 20-times more likely to report experiencing tinnitus symptoms within 24 hours of consumption.
Further investigation indicated that marijuana use could exacerbate ear-ringing symptoms in those who already have tinnitus. So, it would seem, from this compelling evidence, that the link between tinnitus and cannabinoids isn’t a beneficial one.
It should be noted that smoking has also been linked with tinnitus and the research wasn’t clear on how participants were using cannabinoids.
Unknown causes of tinnitus
Just because this link has been found doesn’t necessarily mean the underlying causes are all that well comprehended. That cannabinoids can have an affect on the middle ear and on tinnitus is fairly clear. But it’s a lot less clear what’s producing that impact.
Research, undoubtedly, will carry on. People will be in a better position to make smarter choices if we can make progress in understanding the connection between the numerous varieties of cannabinoids and tinnitus.
Don’t fall for miracle cures
There has certainly been no scarcity of marketing publicity associated with cannabinoids recently. To some extent, that’s the result of changing perceptions associated with cannabinoids themselves (this also shows a growing desire to get away from opioid use). But this new research clearly demonstrates that cannabinoids can and do cause some negative effects, especially if you’re uneasy about your hearing.
You’ll never be capable of avoiding all of the cannabinoid aficionados and devotees in the world–the advertising for cannabinoids has been especially intense lately.
But this research undeniably suggests a powerful connection between tinnitus and cannabinoids. So regardless of how many ads for CBD oil you see, you should steer clear of cannabinoids if you’re worried about tinnitus. It’s not completely clear what the connection between tinnitus and cannabinoids so use 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