CBD and insomnia : CBD company and research centre to launch new trial

Could cannabis help with insomnia? CBD and medical cannabis company BOD Australia have partnered with the Woodcock institute to launch new trial.

The insomnia research and agreement between BOD Australia and the Woodcock Institute will involve a phase IIb clinical trial. It is aimed at developing a new CBD product.

The study will investigate the effect of insomnia severity index scores on adults between 18 and 65 years old. The index asks patients to rate their difficulties falling, staying asleep or waking up too early.

The researchers will recruit around 200 participants struggling with insomnia and run for 12 weeks. They hope to compare both a placebo and a CBD product. During the trial, patients will take a placebo and their new CBD medication in 50mg and 100mg doses. The trial will also determine objective sleep indices as well as participant’s stress and anxiety levels.

The finished trial will allow the company to patent the product for sale over the counter. The company hope to make this available in Australia followed by the UK and US.

News coverage from @stockheadAU: Bod Australia entered into an agreement with Australian medical research group, the Woolcock Institute, to undertake a phase IIB clinical trial for the development of a new #CBD product.https://t.co/JqgS7S63IY $BDA #ASX #news pic.twitter.com/n5fSc9W8VS

— Bod Australia (@BodAustralia) September 28, 2021

Australian research

The Woodcock Institute is Australia’s leading sleep and respiratory research organisation.

Head of sleep and circadian research at the Woolcock Institute, professor Ron Grunstein commented: ”Given the need for alternative treatments for insomnia, it is critical to investigate the effect of CBD on sleep through a high-quality study.”

CEO Jo Patterson said: “We look forward to working with the Woolcock Institute and are confident that the results of the completed clinical trial will provide the required data to commercialise an over-the-counter Schedule 3 CBD product for Australian consumers.”

Insomnia studies

The Woodcock Institute is also working on another insomnia trial which has just finished recruiting participants. It aims to examine how cannabinoids can help people with insomnia and sleep disorders.

PhD student Anastasia Suraev is hoping to generate new data to inform further research, policy and clinical practice. In the video, she stated that 30 percent of the Australian population experience insomnia or poor quality sleep. Her research will test a ratio of CBD to THC thought to promote better sleep in oil form.

Her research will test the effects of this on sleep and daytime function in people with insomnia. The medication will consist of a controlled ratio of cannabinoids consumed as oil for slower absorption and longer-lasting effects. Participants will undergo brain imaging scans to discover if cannabinoids can help insomnia and are there any longer last effects the next day.

Read more: Can CBD help me sleep?