Oral Cannabidiol does not alter Alcohol Seeking and Self‐Administration in Baboons

Background: The cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) is currently under investigation as a pharmacotherapy for alcohol use disorder. The aim of the present study was to examine whether acute and chronic treatment with pure CBD would decrease alcohol seeking and consumption behaviors or alter drinking patterns in male baboons with extensive histories of daily alcohol intake (1 g/kg/day). Methods: Seven male baboons self-administered oral alcohol (4% w/v) in a validated chained schedule of reinforcement (CSR) procedure that modeled periods of anticipation, seeking, and consumption. In Experiment 1, CBD (5–40 mg/kg) or vehicle (peanut oil, USP) was administered orally 15- or 90-minutes prior to the start of the session. In Experiment 2, oral doses of CBD (10–40 mg/kg) or vehicle were administered for 5 consecutive days during ongoing alcohol access under the CSR. In addition, behavioral observations were conducted to assess potential drug side effects (e.g., sedation, motor incoordination) following chronic CBD treatment immediately after the session and 24-hours after drug administration. Results: Across both experiments, baboons self-administered an average of 1 g/kg/day of alcohol under baseline conditions. Administration of acute or chronic CBD (150–1200 mg total CBD dose/day) that encompassed the purported therapeutic dose range did not significantly reduce alcohol seeking, self-administration or intake (g/kg). Drinking patterns (i.e., number of drinks/bouts, bout duration, nor interdrink interval) also were not altered. There were no observable behavioral disruptions following CBD treatment. Conclusions: In sum, the current data do not support use of pure CBD as an effective pharmacotherapy to reduce ongoing excessive drinking.