Over the past several decades the public opinion about cannabinoids and marijuana has changed significantly. Many states now allow the use of marijuana, THC, or cannabinoid products for medicinal purposes. The idea that some states (fewer) even allow the recreational usage of pot would have been hard to imagine a decade ago.
Any compounds derived from the cannabis plant (the marijuana plant, essentially) are known as cannabinoids. In spite of their recent legalization (in some states), we’re still learning new things about cannabinoids. We frequently view these particular compounds as having universal healing qualities. But research suggests a strong connection between the use of cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms but there are also conflicting studies.
Cannabinoids come in numerous forms
There are numerous forms of cannabinoids that can be utilized today. Whatever name you want to give it, pot or weed is not the only form. These days, THC and cannabinoids are available in the form of a pill, 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 technically illegal under federal law if the amount of THC is above 0.3%. So it’s important to be cautious with the use of 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 studies into how cannabinoids impact your hearing are perfect examples.
Studies About cannabinoids and hearing
A myriad of conditions are believed to be successfully treated by cannabinoids. According to anecdotal evidence vertigo, nausea, and seizures are just a few of the conditions that cannabinoids can benefit. So researchers decided to find out if cannabinoids could treat tinnitus, too.
But what they discovered was that tinnitus symptoms can actually be caused 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 tinnitus was never formerly experienced by those participants. And tinnitus symptoms within 24 hours of consumption were 20-times more likely with marijuana users.
Further research indicated that marijuana use could exacerbate ear-ringing symptoms in those who already have tinnitus. Put simply, there’s some fairly compelling evidence that cannabinoids and tinnitus don’t really work well together.
It should be noted that smoking has also been linked with tinnitus and the research wasn’t clear on how participants were using cannabinoids.
Unknown causes of tinnitus
Just because this connection has been discovered doesn’t necessarily mean the root causes are all that well understood. It’s fairly clear that cannabinoids have an influence on the middle ear. But it’s a lot less evident what’s causing that impact.
There’s bound to be additional research. Cannabinoids today are available in so many varieties and types that understanding the underlying connection between these substances and tinnitus could help people make better choices.
Don’t fall for miracle cures
There has definitely been no scarcity of marketing publicity surrounding cannabinoids in recent years. To some extent, that’s due to changing attitudes associated with cannabinoids themselves (and, to an extent, is also an indication of a wish to get away from opioids). But some negative effects can result from cannabinoid use, especially regarding your hearing and this is demonstrated in this new research.
Lately, there’s been aggressive advertising about cannabinoids and you’ll never avoid all of the cannabinoid devotees.
But a strong link between cannabinoids and tinnitus is certainly implied by this research. So if you have tinnitus–or if you’re worried about tinnitus–it may be worth steering clear of cannabinoids if you can, no matter how many advertisements for CBD oil you might come across. The link between cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms is unclear at best, so it’s worth using a little caution.
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References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5855477/
https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/aaohnsf/82180