A new study aims to shed light on the best ratio of CBD and THC to treat anxiety symptoms.
While multiple studies have established the efficacy of medical cannabis in treating anxiety, far less is known about the specific ratio of cannabinoids that works best to alleviate anxiety symptoms.
A new study – led by Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), the Releaf App, which allows patients to track their symptoms and usage and CannaMD, a network of medical cannabis prescribers – aims to explore the subject.
Researchers plan to recruit up to 1,000 medical cannabis patients to track patient-reported experiences while consuming medical cannabis purchased at dispensary locations across the state of Florida.
Eligible study participants will use MoreBetter technologies to answer standardised anxiety-related questions via a smartphone for a 45-day period to track details of their cannabis use and associated outcomes related to symptom relief and side effects.
MoreBetter technologies are widely used by researchers, healthcare professionals, and cannabis product manufacturers to collect data on the performance of cannabis and CBD products, as reported by cannabis patients and consumers.
“Given the increased anxiety and stress that has been reported over the past few years, this is a timely study,” says Tyler Dautrich, COO of MoreBetter Ltd, the company behind Releaf App.
“Working with groups like FGCU and CannaMD enables us to collect localised real-world data outcomes, which will ultimately help improve the experience for registered cannabis patients in Florida.”
Representing one of Florida’s largest networks of medical cannabis physicians, CannaMD’s chief medical researcher, Jessica Walters, agrees: “Identifying specific CBD/THC ratios that work best for anxiety is a critical area of study with immediate real-world applications for a large percentage of the patients we see every day.”
As Dr Martha Rosenthal explains: “Approximately one-third of Americans will suffer from a significant anxiety disorder at some point in their lives, and many turn to medical cannabis to alleviate their symptoms.
“This study will expand our knowledge on the effects of medical cannabis on symptoms of anxiety, patient patterns of use, and the correlation of medical cannabis with other anxiolytic drugs and practices.”
This study marks the first in an ongoing collaboration between FGCU, MoreBetter, and CannaMD to advance medical cannabis research in the state of Florida and contribute to evidence-based literature regarding the use and efficacy of cannabis products statewide.