CBD's potential impact on Parkinson's disease: An updated overview.

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is primarily known as a motor disorder; however, its debilitating non-motor symptoms have a significant impact on patients' quality of life. The current standard treatment, l-DOPA, is used to relieve motor symptoms, but prolonged use is often associated with severe side effects. This creates an urgent need for effective alternatives targeting both motor and non-motor symptoms. Over the past decade, Cannabis sativa and its cannabinoids have been widely studied across various health conditions. Among these compounds, cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive component, is garnering growing interest due to its multi-targeted pleiotropic properties. This work aims to provide a comprehensive overview of CBD's efficacy in PD. This review compiles data on both motor and non-motor symptoms of PD, integrating results from preclinical animal studies and available clinical trials. Preclinical research has demonstrated promising results regarding CBD's potential benefits in PD; however, the total number of clinical trials is limited (with only seven studies to date), making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions on its efficacy. While preclinical findings suggest that CBD may have therapeutic potential in PD, the limited number of clinical trials highlights the need for further research. This review emphasizes the gaps that need to be addressed in future studies to fully understand CBD's role in treating both motor and non-motor symptoms of PD.