Heimat CBD cigarettes in a clinical study: what the pilot study at the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel looked at.
Two Swiss studies, carried out at the University Psychiatric Clinics Basel and published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry, were the first to systematically examine the use of CBD cigarettes in a psychiatric setting. At the centre: a freely available natural product, the CBD cigarettes from Heimat, made in Switzerland.
Hemp cigarettes in everyday clinical practice: what the pilot study examined
In an open pilot study, researchers followed patients diagnosed with psychosis over 25 weeks. The aim was to record under real-life conditions whether the use of Heimat CBD cigarettes was associated with changes in antipsychotic medication intake, subjective well-being and general symptoms. The participants were divided into two groups:
- Group A: CBD cigarettes with <1 % THC
- Group B: placebo cigarettes made of pure tobacco
The researchers report: in the CBD group, total antipsychotic consumption was lower, and participants also reported higher subjective well-being:
"The main group effects (…) were higher subjective well-being and lower total consumption of antipsychotic medication in the CBD group." (Frontiers in Psychiatry, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.736822)
Further observations from a case study
A supplementary case study (Frontiers in Psychiatry, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.712110) describes the course of a single patient with long-standing multiple dependence on highly harmful substances. During regular use of Heimat CBD cigarettes, the authors observed a decline in addictive behaviour and increasing psychological stability. This made more in-depth therapeutic work possible for the first time.
This is an observation of a single case. Whether CBD products could serve as low-threshold, accepted support in mental health care is an open research question that further studies will need to answer.
CBD cigarettes as a complementary measure in therapy?
The studies deliberately used a commercially available product: CBD cigarettes from Heimat. In Switzerland these are classed as a tobacco substitute, not a medicine, and are therefore legally available without a prescription. The researchers discuss whether CBD cigarettes could be a possible complement to conventional therapy in psychiatric care. However, larger controlled studies are needed to answer this question. CBD cigarettes are not a medicine and do not replace medical treatment.
Independent research: transparent and approved by an ethics committee
The studies were carried out independently, with the approval of the Ethics Committee of Northwestern and Central Switzerland. The Heimat brand provided the product studied but was not involved in the planning, conduct or evaluation. This is an important quality criterion for the scientific validity of the results.