Public opinion surrounding marijuana and cannabinoids has transformed significantly over the past several decades. Many states now allow the use of marijuana, THC, or cannabinoid products for medicinal reasons. The idea that some states (fewer) even allow the recreational use of pot would have been unimaginable 10 years ago.
Any substances derived from the cannabis plant (the marijuana plant, basically) are known as cannabinoids. Despite their recent legalization (in some states), we’re still discovering new things about cannabinoids. We frequently think of these specific compounds as having universal healing qualities. But research implies a strong link between the use of cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms but there are also contradictory studies.
Various forms of cannabinoids
There are numerous varieties of cannabinoids that can be consumed today. Whatever name you want to put on it, pot or weed is not the only form. These days, THC and cannabinoids are available in pill form, as inhaled mists, as topical spreads, and more.
The forms of cannabinoids available will vary state by state, and most of those forms are still actually federally illegal if the THC content is over 0.3%. That’s why most individuals tend to be rather careful 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. Some new research into how cannabinoids affect your hearing are prime examples.
Research into cannabinoids and hearing
A myriad of disorders are believed to be successfully treated by cannabinoids. Seizures, vertigo, nausea, and more seem to be helped with cannabinoids, according to anecdotally available evidence. So researchers made a decision to find out if cannabinoids could treat tinnitus, too.
Turns out, cannabinoids may actually trigger tinnitus. According to the research, more than 20% of study participants who used cannabinoid products reported hearing a ringing in their ears. And tinnitus was never formerly experienced by those participants. 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 cope with ringing in the ears, using marijuana would actually worsen the symptoms. Put simply, there’s some fairly compelling evidence that cannabinoids and tinnitus don’t really work well together.
It should be mentioned that smoking has also been linked with tinnitus and the research was unclear on how participants were using cannabinoids.
Unknown causes of tinnitus
Just because this link has been found doesn’t automatically mean the root causes are all that well comprehended. It’s fairly clear that cannabinoids have an impact on the middle ear. But what’s causing that impact is much less clear.
There’s bound to be more research. Cannabinoids today are available in so many selections and forms that comprehending the root connection between these substances and tinnitus could help individuals make smarter choices.
Beware the miracle cure
There has certainly been no scarcity of marketing publicity associated with cannabinoids in recent years. That’s partly because mindsets associated with cannabinoids are quickly changing (this also demonstrates a growing desire to get away from opioid use). But some negative effects can result from cannabinoid use, especially regarding your hearing and this is reflected in this new research.
You’ll never be capable of avoiding all of the cannabinoid aficionados and devotees in the world–the advertising for cannabinoids has been especially intense lately.
But this research undeniably indicates a strong link between tinnitus and cannabinoids. So no matter how many ads for CBD oil you see, you should avoid cannabinoids if you’re worried about tinnitus. It’s not exactly clear what the connection between tinnitus and cannabinoids so use some caution.
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References
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lio2.479
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5855477/
https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/aaohnsf/82180