Public opinion about marijuana and cannabinoids has transformed remarkably 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 a decade ago.
Any substances produced by the cannabis plant (the marijuana plant, essentially) are known as cannabinoids. Despite their recent legalization (in some states), we’re still discovering new things about cannabinoids. It’s a common belief that cannabinoid compounds have widespread healing qualities. But research suggests a strong link between the use of cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms but there are also contradictory studies.
Various forms of cannabinoids
There are numerous forms of cannabinoids that can be used presently. Whatever name you want to give 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 others.
The forms of cannabinoids available will vary state by state, and most of those forms are still technically federally illegal if the THC content is above 0.3%. That’s why most individuals tend to be rather careful about 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 great example is some new research into how your hearing is affected by cannabinoid use.
Research connecting hearing to cannabinoids
A myriad of conditions are believed to be effectively treated by cannabinoids. According to anecdotal evidence vertigo, nausea, and seizures are just a few of the conditions that cannabinoids can help. So the researchers wondered if cannabinoids could help treat tinnitus, too.
But what they found was that tinnitus symptoms can actually be triggered by the use of cannabinoids. According to the research, over 20% of study participants who used cannabinoid products reported hearing a ringing in their ears. And that’s in people who had never experienced tinnitus before. Furthermore, marijuana users were 20-times more likely to describe experiencing tinnitus symptoms within 24 hours of consumption.
Further studies suggested that marijuana use may exacerbate ear-ringing symptoms in those who already have tinnitus. So, it would appear, from this persuasive evidence, that the relationship between tinnitus and cannabinoids is not a positive one.
The research isn’t clear as to how the cannabinoids were consumed but it should be noted that smoking has also been connected to tinnitus symptoms.
Unknown causes of tinnitus
The discovery of this connection doesn’t reveal the underlying cause of the relationship. It’s quite clear that cannabinoids have an impact on the middle ear. But what’s causing that impact is much less evident.
Research, obviously, will continue. People will be in a better position to make better choices if we can make progress in comprehending the link between the numerous varieties of cannabinoids and tinnitus.
Beware the miracle cure
There has definitely been no scarcity of marketing hype surrounding cannabinoids in recent years. That’s partly because attitudes surrounding cannabinoids are swiftly changing (this also shows a growing desire to get away from opioid use). But this new research clearly demonstrates that cannabinoids can and do create some negative effects, particularly if you’re concerned about your hearing.
You’ll never be capable of avoiding all of the cannabinoid aficionados and evangelists in the world–the advertising for cannabinoids has been particularly aggressive lately.
But a powerful link between cannabinoids and tinnitus is definitely indicated 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. It’s not exactly clear what the link between tinnitus and cannabinoids so use some caution.
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5855477/
https://www.medpagetoday.com/meetingcoverage/aaohnsf/82180