Over the last several decades the public perception of cannabinoids and marijuana has transformed considerably. Cannabinoids, marijuana, and THC products are now legal for medical use 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.
Cannabinoids are any compounds produced by the cannabis plant (basically, the marijuana plant). And we’re still learning new things about cannabis despite the fact that it’s recently been legalized in a number of states. We frequently view these specific compounds as having widespread healing qualities. There have been contradictory studies about cannabinoids and tinnitus but research suggests there may also be negative effects like a strong connection between the use of cannabinoids and the development of tinnitus symptoms.
Cannabinoids come in many forms
At present, cannabinoids can be utilized in lots of forms. It isn’t just pot or weed or whatever name you want to give it. Other forms can include topical spreads, edibles, inhaled vapors, pills, and more.
Any of these forms that contain a THC level above 0.3% are technically still federally illegal and the available forms will fluctuate by state. So it’s important to be cautious when using cannabinoids.
The long-term complications and side effects of cannabinoid use are not well known and that’s the issue. A good example is some new research into how your hearing is impacted by cannabinoid use.
Studies linking hearing to cannabinoids
Whatever you want to call it, cannabinoids have long been associated with helping a wide range of medical disorders. Seizures, vertigo, nausea, and more seem to be helped with cannabinoids, according to anecdotally available evidence. So the researchers wondered if cannabinoids could help treat tinnitus, too.
Turns out, cannabinoids may actually cause tinnitus. According to the research, more than 20% of study participants who used cannabinoid products documented hearing a ringing in their ears. And that’s in individuals who had never experienced tinnitus before. What’s more, marijuana users were 20-times more likely to describe experiencing tinnitus symptoms within 24 hours of consumption.
And for individuals who already experience ringing in the ears, using marijuana would actually worsen the symptoms. So, it would appear, from this persuasive research, that the link between tinnitus and cannabinoids isn’t a positive one.
It should be noted that smoking has also been linked with tinnitus and the research was unclear on how participants were using cannabinoids.
Causes of tinnitus are unclear
Just because this connection has been uncovered doesn’t necessarily mean the root causes are all that well comprehended. That cannabinoids can have an affect on the middle ear and on tinnitus is rather obvious. But it’s far less evident what’s causing that impact.
Research, undoubtedly, will continue. Cannabinoids today come in so many selections and types that understanding the underlying link between these substances and tinnitus might help people make smarter choices.
Beware the miracle cure
There has definitely been no shortage of marketing publicity surrounding cannabinoids in recent years. In part, that’s because of changing perceptions surrounding cannabinoids themselves (and, to an extent, is also a reflection of a wish to get away from opioids). But some negative effects can result from the use of cannabinoids, particularly with regards to your hearing and this is reflected in this new research.
Lately, there’s been aggressive advertising about cannabinoids and you’ll never escape all of the cannabinoid devotees.
But a strong connection between cannabinoids and tinnitus is certainly 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 link between cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms is unclear at best, so it’s worth using 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
