Public opinion about marijuana and cannabinoids has changed remarkably over the last several decades. Many states have legalized the use of marijuana, THC, or cannabinoid products for medicinal purposes. Far fewer states have legalized marijuana for recreational reasons, but even that would have been unimaginable even just ten or fifteen years ago.
Any compounds produced by the cannabis plant (the marijuana plant, basically) are known as cannabinoids. And we’re still discovering new things about cannabis despite the fact that it’s recently been legalized in numerous states. We frequently think of these specific compounds as having universal healing properties. There have been conflicting studies about cannabinoids and tinnitus but research suggests there might also be negative effects such as a strong connection between the use of cannabinoids and the development of tinnitus symptoms.
Many forms of cannabinoids
There are numerous forms of cannabinoids that can be used nowadays. It’s not only pot or weed or whatever name you want to put on it. These days, THC and cannabinoids are available in pill form, as topical spreads, as inhaled mists, and others.
The forms of cannabinoids available will differ state by state, and many of those forms are still actually illegal under federal law if the amount of THC is above 0.3%. So it’s essential to be cautious when using cannabinoids.
The issue is that we don’t yet know very 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 linking hearing to cannabinoids
Whatever you want to call it, cannabinoids have long been associated with improving a wide range of medical disorders. 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 help with tinnitus, too.
Turns out, cannabinoids might actually trigger tinnitus. Ringing in the ears was reported, according to the study, by 20% of the participants who used cannabinoids. And that’s in people 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.
Further investigation suggested that marijuana use may exacerbate ear-ringing symptoms in people who already have tinnitus. So, it would seem, from this compelling research, that the link between cannabinoids and tinnitus is not a beneficial one.
The research isn’t clear as to how the cannabinoids were used but it should be pointed out that smoking has also been linked to tinnitus symptoms.
Unclear causes of tinnitus
Just because this link has been discovered doesn’t automatically mean the underlying causes are all that well comprehended. It’s pretty clear that cannabinoids have an impact on the middle ear. But what’s producing that impact is much less evident.
Research, obviously, will carry on. Cannabinoids today are available in so many selections and types that comprehending the root connection between these substances and tinnitus might help individuals make wiser choices.
Don’t fall for miracle cures
There has definitely been no scarcity of marketing hype associated with cannabinoids in recent years. That’s in part because attitudes surrounding cannabinoids are quickly changing (and, to some extent, is also an indication of a wish to get away from opioids). But some negative effects can come from the use of cannabinoids, especially with regards to your hearing and this is demonstrated in this new research.
Lately, there’s been aggressive advertising about cannabinoids and you’ll never escape all of the cannabinoid devotees.
But a powerful link between cannabinoids and tinnitus is definitely indicated by this research. So if you have tinnitus–or if you’re concerned about tinnitus–it might be worth avoiding cannabinoids if you can, no matter how many advertisements for CBD oil you might come across. It’s not exactly clear what the link between tinnitus and cannabinoids so exercise some caution.
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