Public opinion about cannabinoids and marijuana have changed remarkably in the past several decades. THC, cannabinoids, and even marijuana are legal for medical usage in the majority of states. Not as many states have legalized pot for recreational purposes, but even that would have been impossible even just a decade ago.

A group of compounds derived from the cannabis plant (the marijuana plant, essentially) are referred to as cannabinoids. Despite their recent legalization in some states, we’re still discovering new things about cannabinoids. We usually consider these particular compounds as possessing universal healing properties, but current research suggests there might also be negative impact including a strong link between cannabinoid usage and the occurrence of tinnitus symptoms.

There are lots of forms of cannabinoids that can be used now. It isn’t just weed (or ganja, or pot…..ok, there are a lot of nicknames for marijuana so let’s move ahead). Pills, oils, mists and other forms of cannabinoids are currently available.

Every state has different regulations regarding what forms of cannabinoids you can buy, and under federal law, many forms are still illegal if the amount of THC is over 0.3%. That’s why many people tend to be very cautious about cannabinoids.

The problem is that we don’t yet grasp much concerning some of the lasting side effects or complications of cannabinoid use. Some new research into how cannabinoids influence your hearing is a good example.

A large number of ailments and medical conditions are believed to be helped by cannabinoids, whatever you want to call it. Based on evidence that is anecdotally available, conditions like vertigo, nausea, seizures, and countless more seem to be helped by cannabinoids. So researchers decided to find out if cannabinoids could help with tinnitus, too.

Turns out, cannabinoids could actually cause tinnitus. Ringing in the ears was reported by over 29% of participants after using cannabinoids. And that’s in individuals who had never had tinnitus before. What’s more, marijuana users were 20-times more likely to report having tinnitus symptoms after 24 hours.

And for those who already suffered from tinnitus, marijuana use caused it to get worse. So, it seems fairly certain that tinnitus and cannabinoids aren’t really compatible.

There are a couple of tangible ways in which cannabinoids can cause your tinnitus to get worse. To start with, the incidents of tinnitus symptoms can become more frequent, you may experience the ringing or buzzing in your ears more frequently. Cannabinoids can also make those tinnitus episodes more overwhelming. More intense ringing that can be harder to dismiss can be the result.

The research also seems to reveal that cannabinoids are capable of causing the development of initial tinnitus symptoms. Or, stated another way: if you didn’t have tinnitus before, you may develop tinnitus after using cannabinoids.

Just because this connection has been discovered doesn’t necessarily mean the root causes are very well grasped. It’s apparent that cannabinoids can have an effect on the middle ear and symptoms of tinnitus. But it’s much less clear what’s causing this impact.

But we recognize that marijuana use, unlike other mood altering substances such as alcohol, can cause tinnitus.

Of course, we will continue to do the research. People will be enabled to make a smart choice concerning which of the many forms of cannabinoid to go with as we gain better insight into their connection to tinnitus.

There has undeniably been no shortage of marketing hype concerning cannabinoids lately. In part, that’s due to changing mindsets surrounding cannabinoids themselves (and, it could also reveal that people are attempting to move away from opioid use). But this new research clearly shows that cannabinoids can and do produce some negative consequence, particularly if you’re worried about your hearing.

You’ll never be able to steer clear of all of the cannabinoid fanatics and evangelists in the world, the marketing of cannabinoids has been very assertive.

But tinnitus and cannabinoids are clearly linked based on this research. So no matter how many adds you see for CBD oils, if you’re concerned about tinnitus, you should most likely avoid them. The link between cannabinoids and tinnitus symptoms has been pretty securely established by the research, so it’s worth being careful.