The Mental Health Discovery That Could Shake Up Medicine
Psychosis—marked by delusions, hallucinations, and disordered thinking—affects millions of people.
The problem? Big Pharma’s go-to treatments are failing. Up to 40% of patients don’t respond to antipsychotic drugs, and for those who do, the side effects can be devastating—rapid weight gain, diabetes, and even heart disease.
But what if a plant-based compound could help?
A massive new study—hailed as one of the most important medical trials of 2025—is putting CBD to the test on 1,000 participants across 10 countries.
The goal? To find out whether CBD can do what pharmaceutical drugs have struggled to achieve—relieve psychosis safely.
We’ve covered CBD’s many potential benefits before—relief for chronic pain, anxiety, epilepsy, and even sleep issues. But new, groundbreaking research is testing whether this natural compound could do something even bigger.
CBD—the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis—has been studied for its effects on mental health for decades.
- As far back as the 1990s, case reports found that CBD helped patients with severe psychosis who couldn’t tolerate traditional drugs.
- A 2012 study found that CBD worked just as well as a common antipsychotic—but with fewer side effects.
- In 2017, a trial showed that patients taking CBD saw greater symptom reductions than those on a placebo.
But not all studies have supported CBD as a treatment. Some trials showed no significant improvement in psychotic symptoms.
This conflicting research is exactly why the STEP Trial—the largest of its kind—is being launched.
Led by Oxford University and spanning 30 research sites worldwide, the STEP trial will rigorously test CBD’s effects in three separate clinical trials:
- STEP-PROMOTE: Can CBD prevent psychosis from fully developing in high-risk individuals?
- STEP-ENHANCE: Can CBD help patients with first-episode psychosis who haven’t responded to standard treatment?
- STEP-ASSIST: Can CBD relieve symptoms for patients taking clozapine, the drug of last resort for severe psychosis?
Participants will take 1,000 mg of Epidiolex daily—the only FDA-approved form of medical-grade CBD—for up to two years. The results could change the future of mental health treatment.
If this study proves CBD effective, it would be a huge blow to Big Pharma, which has spent decades pushing high-cost, high-risk antipsychotics—despite their terrible side effects and failure rates.
But there’s a catch. Not all CBD is created equal.
- Epidiolex is a pharmaceutical-grade, FDA-approved CBD—pure and potent.
- Most over-the-counter CBD products? A wild west of unregulated formulas, questionable purity, and misleading claims.
- Some “CBD” products from dispensaries have even been found to contain THC, the psychoactive compound in marijuana—which can actually trigger psychosis, not treat it.
If CBD passes this trial, the big question will be: Will people be able to afford it?
Epidiolex is not cheap, and if insurance doesn’t cover it, Big Pharma could still find a way to cash in on nature’s medicine.
The first results of the STEP trial are expected by the end of 2025. If positive, it could open a whole new chapter in mental health treatment—one that’s safer, more natural, and free from Big Pharma’s grip.
We’ll keep you updated as more information is released. Until then, one thing is clear: CBD is too promising to ignore.
To the potential power of CBD,
Rachel Mace
Managing Editorial Director, e-Alert
with contributions from the research team
Sources:
Bender, E. (2025, February 18). Is CBD Effective for Psychosis? New Study Aims to Find Out. Medscape. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/cbd-effective-psychosis-new-study-aims-find-out-2025a1000471
