Over the past several decades the public perception of cannabinoids and marijuana has transformed a lot. Cannabinoids, marijuana, and THC products are now allowed for medical use in many states. Far fewer states have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, but even that would have been unimaginable even just ten or fifteen years ago.
Any compounds derived from the cannabis plant (the marijuana plant, basically) are known as cannabinoids. Despite their recent legalization (in some states), we’re still learning new things about cannabinoids. We frequently view these particular compounds as having universal healing properties. There have been conflicting studies about cannabinoids and tinnitus but research suggests there may also be negative effects like a strong connection between cannabinoid use and the development of tinnitus symptoms.
Cannabinoids come in many forms
There are numerous varieties of cannabinoids that can be utilized nowadays. It isn’t just pot or weed or whatever name you want to put on it. These days, THC and cannabinoids are available in the form of a pill, as topical spreads, as inhaled mists, and others.
Any of these forms that contain a THC level higher than 0.3% are technically still federally illegal and the available forms will differ depending on the state. That’s why many people tend to be rather careful about cannabinoids.
The issue is that we don’t yet know very 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 About cannabinoids and hearing
Whatever you want to call it, cannabinoids have long been linked with helping a wide range of medical conditions. According to anecdotal evidence vertigo, nausea, and seizures are just a few of the afflictions that cannabinoids can benefit. So researchers made a decision to find out if cannabinoids could treat tinnitus, too.
But what they found was that tinnitus symptoms can actually be triggered by the use of cannabinoids. According to the research, over 20% of study participants who used cannabinoid products documented hearing a ringing in their ears. And that’s in people who had never experienced tinnitus before. What’s more, marijuana users were 20-times more likely to describe experiencing tinnitus symptoms within 24 hours of consumption.
And for those who already experience ringing in the ears, using marijuana may actually worsen the symptoms. So, it would appear, from this compelling research, 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 connected to tinnitus symptoms.
Unknown causes of tinnitus
The discovery of this link doesn’t expose the root cause of the relationship. That cannabinoids can have an affect on the middle ear and on tinnitus is fairly clear. But it’s much less evident what’s causing that impact.
There’s bound to be more research. Cannabinoids today are available in so many selections and forms that understanding the fundamental link between these substances and tinnitus might help individuals make wiser choices.
Beware the miracle cure
In recent years, there has been plenty of marketing hype around cannabinoids. That’s partly because perceptions about cannabinoids are quickly changing (this also shows a growing desire to get away from opioid use). But this new research clearly demonstrates that cannabinoids can and do produce some negative effects, particularly 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 particularly aggressive lately.
But a strong link between cannabinoids and tinnitus is definitely indicated by this research. So if you are dealing with tinnitus–or if you’re worried about tinnitus–it may be worth steering clear of cannabinoids if you can, no matter how many adverts for CBD oil you might come across. The connection between cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms is uncertain at best, so it’s worth exercising a little caution.
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References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5855477/
https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/aaohnsf/82180