A novel insight into the antidepressant effect of cannabidiol: possible involvement of the 5-HT1A, CB1, GPR55, and PPARγ receptors.

Abstract

Depression is a prevalent and disabling disorder that poses serious problems in mental health care, and rapid antidepressants are novel treatments for this disorder. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid, is thought to have therapeutic potential due to its important neurological and anti-inflammatory properties. Despite major advances in pharmacotherapy in experimental animals, the exact mechanism of antidepressant-like effects remains to be elucidated. In this paper, we review the current state of knowledge on the antidepressant properties of CBD in numerous experimental and clinical studies. Accumulating evidence suggests that CBD has antidepressant properties in humans and animals with few side effects, suggesting that CBD may be a potential antidepressant. Furthermore, we discuss CBD may therefore provide a potential treatment to exert antidepressant-like effects through various molecular targets, reducing inflammation, and enhancing neurogenesis. Taken together with the growing popularity of CBD as a medicine, these findings extend the limited knowledge on the antidepressant effects of CBD. This potentially opens up new therapeutic means for the patients with depression.