Public opinion surrounding marijuana and cannabinoids has transformed significantly over the past several decades. Cannabinoids, marijuana, and THC products are now allowed for medical usage in many states. The concept that some states (fewer) even allow the recreational use of pot would have been unimaginable 10 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 learning new things about cannabinoids. We often view these particular compounds as having widespread healing properties. There have been conflicting studies about cannabinoids and tinnitus but research indicates there might also be negative effects such as a direct connection between the use of cannabinoids and the development of tinnitus symptoms.
Many forms of cannabinoids
There are numerous varieties of cannabinoids that can be utilized today. Whatever name you want to put on it, pot or weed is not the only form. These days, THC and cannabinoids are available in the form of a pill, as topical spreads, as inhaled mists, and more.
The forms of cannabinoids available will differ state by state, and most of those forms are still actually federally illegal if the amount of THC is over 0.3%. So it’s important to be cautious with the use of 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 impacted by cannabinoid use.
Studies connecting hearing to cannabinoids
A myriad of conditions are believed to be effectively treated by cannabinoids. According to anecdotal evidence vertigo, nausea, and seizures are just a few of the afflictions that cannabinoids can help. 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. According to the research, more than 20% of study participants who used cannabinoid products documented hearing a ringing in their ears. And that’s in individuals 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.
And for those who already cope with ringing in the ears, using marijuana could actually exacerbate the symptoms. So, it would appear, from this compelling evidence, that the link between cannabinoids and tinnitus isn’t a positive one.
It should be mentioned that smoking has also been linked with tinnitus and the research was unclear on how participants were consuming cannabinoids.
Unknown causes of tinnitus
The discovery of this link doesn’t reveal the underlying cause of the relationship. It’s fairly clear that cannabinoids have an influence on the middle ear. But it’s a lot less evident what’s producing that impact.
There’s bound to be additional research. Cannabinoids today come in so many varieties and types that understanding the fundamental link between these substances and tinnitus might help individuals make wiser choices.
Beware the miracle cure
There has undeniably been no shortage of marketing hype surrounding cannabinoids in recent years. To some extent, that’s due to changing attitudes surrounding 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 create some negative effects, especially if you’re uneasy about your hearing.
You’ll never be capable of avoiding all of the cannabinoid enthusiasts and evangelists in the world–the marketing for cannabinoids has been especially aggressive lately.
But a powerful link between cannabinoids and tinnitus is definitely indicated by this research. So regardless of how many ads for CBD oil you see, you should steer clear of cannabinoids if you’re worried about tinnitus. The link between cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms is uncertain at best, so it’s worth using a little caution.
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