The stress and boredom of the pandemic has spiked alcohol sales all over the country. Here’s how CBD can help you manage your intake.

If there’s one thing the pandemic has reignited in us it’s our love of alcohol. The fact that time is no longer linear means that people now find themselves drinking at odd times of the day, whether it’s noon on a Monday or during a Zoom happy hour Friday evening.

One of the biggest concerns for health experts is what the world will look like post pandemic and how these alcohol habits we’ve adopted will affect us in the long run. Despite lacking a ton of scientific research, CBD oils and other products could help curb your alcohol intake if you’re feeling like your drinking is getting out of hand.

A May 2019 study published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology suggests that CBD can help people reduce the amount of alcohol they drink while also protecting their livers and brains, two organs that are greatly affected by heavy alcohol consumption. The study, conducted on mice who consumed ethanol, demonstrated that consuming CBD could reduce the amounts of ethanol consumed by mice while also preventing alcohol relapses.

RELATED: Americans Are Drinking Tons Of Alcohol During Lockdown

“By reducing alcohol-related processes of steatosis in the liver, and brain alcohol-related damage, CBD could improve both the hepatic and neurocognitive outcomes of subjects with AUD, regardless of the individual drinking trajectories. This might pave the way for testing new harm reduction approaches in AUD, i.e., for protecting the organs of subjects with an ongoing AUD,” explain the study’s authors.

While research on CBD’s effects on humans is limited, one study found that smokers who consumed CBD were more likely to reduce their cigarette use, meaning that CBD can be helpful in treating addictive behaviors. 

RELATED: How To Manage Your Alcohol Intake During Coronavirus

For those who are quarantined and are looking for better coping mechanisms, consuming a couple of CBD drops or CBD gummies might be a simple and effective way of introducing something to your system that isn’t alcohol and that won’t impair your behavior.

CBD is not intoxicating or harmful to your system, promoting relaxation and helping you cope with depressive symptoms. While alcohol is certainly fun, your body and mental health will be thankful for a break; you’ll notice improvements within just a few short weeks (if those still exist).