Cannabidiol as an Adjunct Treatment for Alcohol Withdrawal and Craving

Alcohol withdrawal during acute abstinence represents a major health threat to millions of individuals struggling with alcohol use disorder (AUD): it has been associated with complications in patients admitted for medically supervised withdrawal including seizures and delirium tremens (the latter of which can be fatal if not managed appropriately) and can interfere with treatment efforts. Benzodiazepines, such as lorazepam (Ativan) represent the first-line treatments for control of alcohol withdrawal, yet higher doses of benzodiazepines required to manage more complicated withdrawal cases increase risk of respiratory depression and delirium. Furthermore, a growing frequency of benzodiazepine shortages (at least 20 shortages within the previous ten years lasting a median of 244 days) necessitates a need for alternative and adjunctive medications. Preclinical animal trials involving cannabidiol (CBD), one of the most prevalent cannabinoids in cannabis (marijuana) have shown its use is associated with statistically significant reductions in withdrawal symptoms and there is evidence in non-AUD populations that CBD is effective in reducing anxiety, insomnia, and seizures, which are all symptoms of alcohol withdrawal. The capacity for CBD to enhance the effect of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in a manner akin to benzodiazepines has also been demonstrated. Collectively this information suggests that CBD could alleviate signs and symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, and subsequently reduce the need for adjunctive benzodiazepines. This randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial will enroll adults with moderate-to-severe AUD who will be admitted to an inpatient research unit at the Johns Hopkins Hospital for management of their alcohol withdrawal. Enrolled participants with a history of alcohol withdrawal symptoms will be randomized to receive an oral formulation of either placebo or one of two CBD doses (10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg). These doses have been well-studied and tolerated in prior studies and clinical trials for other disorders. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms, as defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) criteria, will be assessed by nursing administration of the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol, revised (CIWA-Ar) and participant completion of the Alcohol Withdrawal Symptom Checklist (AWSC). The CIWA-Ar scale will be used to guide the administration of symptom-triggered lorazepam (trade name Ativan) for all participants. As insomnia is a DSM-5 criterion for alcohol withdrawal, sleep quality will be assessed by completion of the Consensus Sleep Diary (CSD) and wrist actigraphy. Last, since cravings correlate closely with withdrawal symptoms and CBD has been observed to reduce craving for other substances, we will explore CBD's impact on alcohol craving by having participants complete the Alcohol Urge Questionnaire throughout the study. In short, the goals of this study will be to (1) determine the effect of CBD on physiologic and subjective symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, (2) determine the capacity of CBD to improve insomnia and disordered sleep during withdrawal, and (3) determine if CBD can attenuate alcohol cravings during acute abstinence. Results from this study can help inform the possible use of CBD as a novel adjunct treatment for alcohol withdrawal and cravings that may reduce benzodiazepine need for alcohol withdrawal treatment. If CBD is shown to be effective, this line of work also points to the potential of the endogenous cannabinoid system playing a mechanistic role in alcohol's withdrawal symptoms. Finally, this study could provide further insights into the efficacy of CBD as a sleep agent for participants with alcohol withdrawal and lay the groundwork for subsequent studies exploring CBD's use in the treatment of alcohol withdrawal in an outpatient setting.