Over the past several decades the public perception of cannabinoids and marijuana has transformed significantly. Many states now allow the use of marijuana, THC, or cannabinoid products for medicinal reasons. Far fewer states have legalized marijuana for recreational reasons, but even that would have been unthinkable even just ten or fifteen years ago.
Cannabinoids are any compounds produced by the cannabis plant (essentially, the marijuana plant). And we’re still learning new things about cannabis in spite of the fact that it’s recently been legalized in several states. It’s a common belief that cannabinoid compounds have extensive healing qualities. But research suggests a strong connection between the use of cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms but there are also conflicting studies.
Cannabinoids come in various forms
There are many varieties of cannabinoids that can be consumed nowadays. It’s not just pot or weed or whatever name you want to give it. Other forms can include topical spreads, edibles, pills, inhalable vapors, and others.
Any of these forms that have a THC level above 0.3% are technically still federally illegal and the available forms will fluctuate depending on the state. So it’s important to be cautious with the use of cannabinoids.
The problem is that we don’t yet know very much about some of the long-term side effects or complications of cannabinoid use. Some new research into how cannabinoids affect your hearing are perfect examples.
Studies About cannabinoids and hearing
Whatever you want to call it, cannabinoids have long been connected with helping a wide range of medical conditions. Seizures, vertigo, nausea, and more seem to be improved with cannabinoids, according to anecdotally available evidence. So researchers decided to see if cannabinoids could treat tinnitus, too.
Turns out, cannabinoids might actually cause tinnitus. According to the research, over 20% of study participants who used cannabinoid products documented hearing a ringing in their ears. And tinnitus was never formerly experienced by those participants. And tinnitus symptoms within 24 hours of consumption were 20-times higher with marijuana users.
And for those who already experience ringing in the ears, using marijuana could actually exacerbate the symptoms. So, it would appear, from this persuasive research, that the link between cannabinoids and tinnitus is not a positive one.
The research isn’t clear as to how the cannabinoids were consumed but it should be noted that smoking has also been connected to tinnitus symptoms.
Unknown causes of tinnitus
Just because this connection has been discovered doesn’t necessarily mean the underlying causes are all that well understood. That cannabinoids can have an impact on the middle ear and on tinnitus is pretty obvious. But what’s producing that impact is a lot less evident.
Research, obviously, will continue. Cannabinoids today are available in so many selections and types that understanding the underlying connection between these substances and tinnitus could help individuals make better choices.
Don’t fall for miracle cures
There has certainly been no lack of marketing hype associated with cannabinoids in recent years. That’s partly because mindsets surrounding cannabinoids are swiftly changing (this also shows a growing wish to get away from opioid use). But this new research clearly demonstrates that cannabinoids can and do create some negative effects, especially if you’re uneasy about your hearing.
You’ll never be able to avoid all of the cannabinoid enthusiasts and devotees in the world–the marketing for cannabinoids has been particularly intense lately.
But this research undeniably suggests a powerful connection between tinnitus and cannabinoids. So if you are dealing with tinnitus–or if you’re concerned about tinnitus–it might be worth steering clear of cannabinoids if you can, no matter how many adverts for CBD oil you may come across. The connection between cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms is unclear at best, so it’s worth using 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