Evaluation of Cannabidiol Effects as an Adjunctive Therapy on Symptoms of Patients with Obsessive–compulsive Disorder

Abstract Background: Obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by recurrent obsessions and compulsions. Cannabidiol (CBD) is considered an effective antiepileptic drug in the treatment of patients with OCD. Aim: The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of CBD on OCD symptoms in patients from Qazvin Province, Iran. Materials and Methods: In the randomized control clinical trial study, 30 patients were randomly divided into two groups. One group received 25 mg of CBD drops daily, whereas the other group received 25 mg of placebo in the form of drops. At the 4 th and 8 th weeks, the patients were asked to complete the Yale–Brown Scale again to examine changes in the disease process. All analyses were carried out using SPSS software version 20. Results: The mean age of patients in CBD and placebo groups was 32.53 and 40.6 years, respectively, which displayed the significant relationship between the two groups ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, the score of OCD did not show any relationship between the two groups. The RM-ANOVA test indicated the mean score of OCD among studied groups in measured times was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: In the current study, the use of CBD in patients with OCD led to a decrease in the mean OCD score during the study period. This effect was found to be statistically significant between the intervention and control groups over time. Although CBD is suggested as a useful treatment for a variety of psychiatric problems, it is suggested to make clinical trials with larger populations.