Public opinion about marijuana and cannabinoids has changed remarkably over the last several decades. Cannabinoids, marijuana, and THC products are now legal for medical use in many states. Far fewer states have legalized pot for recreational purposes, but even that would have been unimaginable even just ten or fifteen years ago.
Cannabinoids are any compounds derived from 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. We frequently view these specific compounds as having widespread healing properties. There have been contradictory studies about cannabinoids and tinnitus but research suggests there might also be negative effects like a direct connection between cannabinoid use and the development of tinnitus symptoms.
Cannabinoids come in many forms
There are many varieties of cannabinoids that can be utilized today. It isn’t only pot or weed or whatever name you want to give 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 illegal under federal law if the amount of THC is above 0.3%. So it’s essential to be cautious when using 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 impact your hearing are perfect examples.
Studies connecting hearing to cannabinoids
Whatever you want to call it, cannabinoids have long been associated with improving a wide variety of medical disorders. Seizures, vertigo, nausea, and more seem to be helped with cannabinoids, according to anecdotally available evidence. So researchers decided to find out if cannabinoids could treat tinnitus, too.
Turns out, cannabinoids might actually trigger tinnitus. According to the research, more than 20% of study participants who used cannabinoid products reported hearing a ringing in their ears. And tinnitus was never previously experienced by those participants. And tinnitus symptoms within 24 hours of consumption were 20-times more likely with marijuana users.
And for those who already cope with ringing in the ears, using marijuana may actually exacerbate the symptoms. So, it would appear, from this persuasive evidence, that the link between cannabinoids and tinnitus isn’t a beneficial one.
The research is unclear as to how the cannabinoids were used but it should be noted that smoking has also been linked to tinnitus symptoms.
Unknown causes of tinnitus
The discovery of this link doesn’t expose the underlying cause of the relationship. That cannabinoids can have an influence on the middle ear and on tinnitus is rather clear. But it’s a lot less clear what’s causing that impact.
Research, undoubtedly, will continue. Cannabinoids today are available in so many varieties and forms that comprehending the fundamental link between these substances and tinnitus might help people make wiser choices.
Beware the miracle cure
There has undeniably been no shortage of marketing hype surrounding cannabinoids recently. In part, that’s the result of changing perceptions associated with cannabinoids themselves (and, to an extent, is also an indication of a wish to move away from opioids). But some negative effects can come from cannabinoid use, especially with regards to your hearing and this is reflected in this new research.
Lately, there’s been aggressive marketing about cannabinoids and you’ll never escape all of the cannabinoid devotees.
But this research certainly suggests a powerful connection between tinnitus and cannabinoids. So no matter how many ads for CBD oil you see, you should avoid cannabinoids if you’re concerned about tinnitus. The connection between cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms is uncertain at best, so it’s worth exercising some caution.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5855477/
https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/aaohnsf/82180