Public opinion about marijuana and cannabinoids has changed remarkably over the last several decades. Cannabinoids, marijuana, and THC products are now legal for medical usage in many states. Far fewer states have legalized pot for recreational purposes, but even that would have been unthinkable even just ten or fifteen years ago.
Any compounds produced by the cannabis plant (the marijuana plant, essentially) are known as cannabinoids. And we’re still learning new things about cannabis despite the fact that it’s recently been legalized in several states. It’s a common notion that cannabinoid compounds have widespread healing qualities. But research implies a strong connection between the use of cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms but there are also contradictory studies.
Cannabinoids come in numerous forms
There are many varieties of cannabinoids that can be consumed presently. It’s not only pot or weed or whatever name you want to give it. These days, THC and cannabinoids are available in pill form, as topical spreads, as inhaled mists, and others.
Any of these forms that have a THC level above 0.3% are technically still federally illegal and the available forms will differ by state. So it’s essential to be careful with the use of cannabinoids.
The problem is that we don’t yet know 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.
Research connecting hearing to cannabinoids
Whatever you want to call it, cannabinoids have long been connected with helping a wide range of medical disorders. 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 manage tinnitus, too.
Turns out, cannabinoids might actually cause tinnitus. Ringing in the ears was reported, according to the study, by 20% of the participants who used cannabinoids. And that’s in individuals who had never experienced tinnitus before. And tinnitus symptoms within 24 hours of consumption were 20-times higher with marijuana users.
Further investigation indicated that marijuana use may exacerbate ear-ringing symptoms in people who already suffer from tinnitus. So, it would seem, from this compelling evidence, that the relationship between cannabinoids and tinnitus is not a positive 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.
Causes of tinnitus are unclear
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 what’s causing that impact is far less clear.
There’s bound to be further research. Individuals will be in a better position to make wiser choices if we can make progress in comprehending the connection between the numerous forms of cannabinoids and tinnitus.
Beware the miracle cure
Recently, there has been a great deal of marketing hype surrounding cannabinoids. That’s partly because attitudes surrounding cannabinoids are rapidly changing (and, to some extent, is also a reflection of a wish to turn away from opioids). But this new research clearly demonstrates that cannabinoids can and do create some negative effects, especially if you’re concerned about your hearing.
Lately, there’s been aggressive advertising about cannabinoids and you’ll never escape all of the cannabinoid devotees.
But this research certainly indicates a powerful connection between tinnitus and cannabinoids. So regardless of how many ads for CBD oil you see, you should steer clear of cannabinoids if you’re worried about tinnitus. It’s not exactly clear what the link between tinnitus and cannabinoids so exercise some caution.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5855477/
https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/aaohnsf/82180