Public opinion surrounding marijuana and cannabinoids has changed remarkably over the past several decades. Many states now allow the use of marijuana, THC, or cannabinoid products for medicinal reasons. Substantially fewer states have legalized pot for recreational reasons, but even that would have been unthinkable even just ten or fifteen years ago.
Cannabinoids are any substances produced by the cannabis plant (basically, the marijuana plant). Despite their recent legalization (in some states), we’re still discovering new things about cannabinoids. It’s a common belief that cannabinoid compounds have widespread healing qualities. But research implies a strong link between the use of cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms but there are also contradictory studies.
Cannabinoids come in numerous forms
There are many forms of cannabinoids that can be used today. Whatever name you want to give it, pot or weed isn’t the only form. Other forms can include topical spreads, edibles, inhaled vapors, pills, and more.
The forms of cannabinoids available will vary state by state, and many of those forms are still technically federally illegal if the THC content is over 0.3%. That’s why most people tend to be quite cautious about 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. A good example is some new research into how your hearing is impacted by cannabinoid use.
Studies About cannabinoids and hearing
A wide array of disorders are believed to be successfully treated by cannabinoids. Seizures, vertigo, nausea, and more seem to be improved with cannabinoids, according to anecdotally available evidence. So researchers decided to see if cannabinoids could help with tinnitus, too.
Turns out, cannabinoids might actually trigger tinnitus. According to the research, over 20% of study participants who used cannabinoid products reported hearing a ringing in their ears. And tinnitus was never formerly experienced by those participants. Furthermore, 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 would actually worsen the symptoms. So, it would appear, from this compelling evidence, that the link between tinnitus and cannabinoids is not a beneficial one.
It should be noted that smoking has also been linked with tinnitus and the research was unclear on how participants were consuming cannabinoids.
Causes of tinnitus are not clear
The discovery of this link doesn’t expose the root cause of the relationship. It’s quite clear that cannabinoids have an impact on the middle ear. But it’s a lot less clear what’s producing that impact.
Research, undoubtedly, will carry on. Cannabinoids today come in so many selections and forms that comprehending the root link between these substances and tinnitus could help people make smarter choices.
Beware the miracle cure
In recent years, there has been plenty of marketing hype surrounding cannabinoids. That’s partly because perceptions associated with cannabinoids are rapidly changing (and, to some extent, is also an indication of a wish to get away from opioids). But this new research makes clear that cannabinoids can and do create some negative effects, particularly if you’re uneasy about your hearing.
Lately, there’s been aggressive marketing about cannabinoids and you’ll never escape all of the cannabinoid devotees.
But a powerful connection between cannabinoids and tinnitus is definitely implied by this research. So no matter how many ads for CBD oil you see, you should steer clear of cannabinoids if you’re worried about tinnitus. The connection between cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms is uncertain at best, so it’s worth exercising a little caution.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5855477/
https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/aaohnsf/82180