In this study, the investigators seek to evaluate the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on cocaine
craving and relapse. Cocaine addiction is characterized by compulsive substance use and
repetitive urges to consume the drug even after a sustained period of abstinence. While
substance use remains the most obvious direct outcome of addiction, there is a growing
interest in other core symptoms of this disorder. Craving has become a subject of great
interest as it is a reliable intermediate phenotype of cocaine relapse and a distressing
symptom of addiction associated with suffering. Indeed, even after a period of abstinence,
cocaine-dependent individuals remain vulnerable to stress and other craving-inducing stimuli,
which, in turn, lead to intense physiological responses and various negative feelings such as
anger and sadness. Real-time daily monitoring of craving and drug use has shown that craving
predicts cocaine relapse among cocaine-dependent individuals. In sum, working toward
improving the treatment of craving could not only help prevent relapse, but also reduce
patient distress on emotional, cognitive, and physiological levels. In the past decades,
significant scientific efforts have been deployed toward the development of innovative
strategies to beat cocaine addiction, but with partial success thus far. Psychosocial
approaches have been widely used to help cocaine-dependent patients achieve better outcomes
after drug cessation, but literature indicates that these strategies alone are at times
insufficient to induce significant behavioural changes or a reduction in rates of drug
consumption. Unlike other types of addiction, such as opioid and alcohol, no pharmacological
treatment has yet been found to be truly effective in relieving cocaine-cessation symptoms
like craving and anxiety or to prevent relapse. CBD is a natural cannabinoid with a
favourable tolerability profile and discrete neurobiological actions that are linked to
neural circuits closely involved in addiction disorders. Addiction to cocaine is
characterized by alternating phases of intoxication and short abstinence, followed by
recurrent drug-craving episodes which result in distress and relapse. Our hypothesis is that
CBD a cannabinoid known for its broad spectrum properties is an interesting pharmacological
contender to decrease cocaine craving and treat cocaine addiction. Previous studies conducted
in animals and humans confirm that CBD is a very safe and tolerable medication.