Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) awarded $158,614 to The Regents of the University of Colorado on June 1, 2026, under the Alcohol Research Programs (CFDA 93.273) to conduct a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating the mechanisms and efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD) for treating sleep disruption in individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD). The five-year project, extending through May 31, 2031, will explore CBD's effects on sleep and alcohol use behaviors in adults reporting heavy drinking, with particular focus on mediational pathways through sleep quality. This research addresses a critical clinical gap, as disrupted sleep significantly contributes to AUD progression and relapse, yet previous interventions targeting sleep alone have demonstrated minimal impact on alcohol misuse outcomes.

The study leverages the endocannabinoid system as a shared biological target for both sleep regulation and reward processing, investigating CBD as a low-abuse-liability pharmacological intervention with potential to simultaneously improve sleep quality and reduce alcohol use behaviors. Through mechanistic and mediational analyses, the research will generate evidence on whether CBD's effects on alcohol use are mediated through improvements in sleep quality, potentially establishing a novel dual-benefit treatment approach for this vulnerable population. The work will be performed at the University of Colorado's Boulder campus under the Alcohol Research Programs, which supports comprehensive biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and translational research aimed at developing improved treatment methods and prevention strategies for alcoholism and alcohol-related disorders.