Public opinion about marijuana and cannabinoids have changed incredibly over the past several decades. The majority of states now allow the use of marijuana, THC, or cannabinoid products for medicinal applications. Far fewer states have legalized marijuana for recreational uses, but even that would have been unthinkable even just ten or fifteen years ago.
A group of substances derived from the cannabis plant (the marijuana plant, basically) are known as cannabinoids. New things are being uncovered about cannabinoids all the time despite their recent decriminalization in some states. Although we now are starting to recognize the many medical benefits of these chemical substances, it has been acknowledged for some time that tinnitus may be activated by cannabinoids.
Many Kinds of Cannabinoids
There are numerous varieties of cannabinoids that can be used now. It isn’t just weed (or ganja, or pot…..ok, there are plenty of nicknames for marijuana so let’s move on). Nowadays, THC and cannabinoids are available in pill form, as topical spreads, as inhaled mists, and more.
Each state has it’s own laws regarding which types of cannabinoids you can buy, and many of those forms are still officially illegal under federal law if the THC content is more than 0.3%. So it’s still common for people to be very careful about cannabinoids.
The issue is that we don’t yet grasp much concerning some of the potential side effects or risks of cannabinoid use. Some new research into how cannabinoids impact your hearing is a prime example.
Cannabinoids And Your Hearing, Some New Studies
Whatever you want to call it, cannabinoids have long been linked to improving a wide range of medical conditions. Based on information that is anecdotally available, conditions such as vertigo, nausea, seizures, and many more seem to be helped by cannabinoids. So scientists resolved to see if cannabinoids would be helpful with tinnitus, too.
Seems as if cannabinoids might actually trigger tinnitus. Ringing in the ears was reported by more than 29% of participants after implementing cannabinoids. And that’s in individuals who had never dealt with tinnitus before. Furthermore, marijuana users were 20-times more likely to report experiencing tinnitus symptoms after 24 hours.
And for those who already suffered from tinnitus, marijuana use caused it to get worse. This basically means, there’s some very persuasive evidence that tinnitus and cannabinoids don’t really mix all that well.
How Cannabinoids worsen tinnitus
Your tinnitus can be worsened by cannabinoids in a couple of tangible ways. The first is that your tinnitus can become more frequent. Cannabinoids can also make those tinnitus episodes more overwhelming. More intense ringing that can be harder to ignore can be the result.
The study also seems to reveal that cannabinoids can cause the development of the initial symptoms of tinnitus. Or, said another way: after you begin using cannabinoids you may start to experience tinnitus symptoms even if you had no symptoms before.
It’s Still Unknown What Causes Tinnitus
We know that there’s a link between tinnitus and certain triggers but we’re still uncertain what the actual root causes are. That cannabinoids can have an impact on the middle ear and on tinnitus is pretty clear. But what’s causing that impact is far less evident.
But we recognize that using marijuana, as opposed to other mood altering substances like alcohol, can cause tinnitus.
Research, invariably, will continue. People will be equipped to make a practical choice concerning which of the many kinds of cannabinoid to go with as we obtain better insight into their link to tinnitus.
The Miracle Cure Beware
There has certainly been no shortage of marketing hype surrounding cannabinoids lately. That’s partly because attitudes are transforming about cannabinoids (and, it could also reveal that people are making an attempt to get away from opioid use). But this new research makes it clear that cannabinoids can and do bring about some negative consequence, specifically if you’re worried about your hearing.
You’ll never be able to avoid all of the cannabinoid fans and evangelists out there, the marketing of cannabinoids has been extremely assertive.
But tinnitus and cannabinoids are clearly associated based on this research. So no matter how much advertising you see for CBD oils, if you’re concerned about tinnitus, you should probably avoid them. It’s worth being cautious when the connection between cannabinoids and tinnitus has been so solidly established.