Psychology ETDs

Publication Date

Spring 5-16-2026

Abstract

Interest in the anxiolytic-like effects of cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid found within the genus, Cannabis, has grown significantly in recent years. However, preclinical investigations of CBD’s anxiolytic potential often elect to forgo translationally relevant models that maximize external validity in favor of greater internal and mechanistic validity. As a result, the effects of relatively low dose (< 3mg/kg) oral CBD administration on anxiety-like behaviors are not yet fully characterized. The present studies examined the impact of two orally delivered CBD-dominant cannabis products – a “full-spectrum” formulation derived from the whole plant and a CBD isolate derived from the same chemovar – on innate defensive behaviors exhibited by adult male and female rats in various tests of anxiety. Results indicated that acute and chronic low dose oral CBD administration attenuated anxiety-like behavior in rats, regardless of sex or formulation. These findings extend the growing corpus of literature describing anxiolytic-like effects of CBD.

Degree Name

Psychology

Level of Degree

Doctoral

Department Name

Psychology

First Committee Member (Chair)

Nathan S Pentkowski

Second Committee Member

Laura Ornelas

Third Committee Member

Arturo Zavala

Fourth Committee Member

Jacob Vigil

Language

English

Keywords

Anxiety, cannabis, cannabidiol, stress, oral administration, low dose

Document Type

Dissertation

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