Mental health
New data supports use of medical cannabis for anxiety and depression
The study is thought to be the largest to date examining medical cannabis for anxiety and depression
A Canadian survey has found evidence to suggest that medical cannabis is associated with sustained improvements in anxiety and depression.
In what is thought to be the largest dataset of its kind, Canadian researchers surveyed over 7,000 patients authorised to access medical cannabis products.
According to their findings, published in the journal Psychiatry Research, patients with symptoms of anxiety and/or depression report sustained improvements following the use of cannabis.
Authors reported “statistically significant improvements” between subjects’ baseline and follow up scores on validated measurements of anxiety and depression.
Greater improvements were seen in patients who were actively seeking medical cannabis to treat these particular conditions.
Furthermore, according to the study, the symptom improvements seen were sustained for at least one year.
Building the evidence
The survey is thought to be the largest to date, exploring the effects of medicinal cannabis on anxiety and depression.
Findings from the UK also indicate that patients are finding it helpful for symptoms of these conditions.
The UK Patient Registry, which now includes data from around 2,000 patients, showed statistically significant improvements in anxiety, pain and sleep quality scores following treatment with medical cannabis.
Meanwhile data from the observational study, Project Twenty21, shows cannabis may be more effective at improving mood during the first three months of treatment, than some commonly prescribed antidepressants.
The authors concluded: “To our knowledge, this study is the largest completed to date examining the impact of medical cannabis use on anxiety and depression outcomes utilising longitudinal data and validated questionnaires.
“It provides evidence on the effectiveness of medical cannabis as a treatment for anxiety and depression that otherwise is not currently available, demonstrating that patients who seek treatment with medical cannabis for anxiety and depression can experience clinically significant improvements.”
They added: “This study offers reasonable justification for the completion of large clinical trials to further the understanding of medical cannabis as a treatment for anxiety and depression.”
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