The Long-Term Effect of CBD Crystals and CBD Oil on Depressive-Associated Rat Behaviors

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a chemical extracted from cannabis and shown by some studies to alleviate the symptoms of many mental disorders, especially major depressive disorder. Many researchers have explored how acute CBD treatment impacts the attitude of depressive patients, but few researchers have examined how chronic CBD consumption influences the mood of people without depression. To simulate the effect of CBD on people, we used male Wistar Rats as experimental models, divided into three groups: the control group received peanut oil (vehicle), the CBD oil group received CBD oil and vehicle, and the CBD crystal group received CBD crystals and vehicle. We hypothesized that chronic treatments with purified CBD through oral administration would relieve depression-associated behaviors in normal healthy rats under adverse conditions. The CBD oil used in this study was made from crude oil of hemp by molecular distillation, and the CBD crystals were further processed from CBD oil by crystallization. We used forced swimming test and sucrose preference test to assess the characters associated with the diagnosis of depression: despair-like behavior and anhedonia. Furthermore, we used the weight of the rats to assess appetite. A statistical analysis of the experimental data suggested that long-term consumption of CBD could elicit depression associated symptoms in normal rats without depression. The results imply that people should consume CBD-containing products with extreme caution and highlight the need to carefully monitor the use of CBD in health care products.