Major Lancet Review Finds Medicinal Cannabis Ineffective for Anxiety, Depression, and PTSD
By
nothrowaways
Toasted just enough. A reliable bake, gently seasoned.
Summary
A major systematic review published in The Lancet finds that medicinal cannabis does not effectively treat anxiety, depression, or PTSD, despite widespread use for these mental health conditions. The largest analysis to date on cannabinoids for mental health shows limited benefits for conditions like insomnia and autism, but with weak evidence. Researchers warn that cannabis could worsen mental health, increasing risks of psychosis and addiction while potentially delaying proven treatments. The findings come as about 27% of people aged 16-65 in the US and Canada report medical cannabis use, with half using it for mental health symptoms.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledThe analysis is the largest to date examining both the safety and effectiveness of cannabinoids across a wide range of mental health conditions.
About 27 percent of people aged 16-65 in the United States and Canada report using cannabis medically, and roughly half of them say they use it to manage mental health symptoms.
Researchers warn it could even make mental health worse, raising risks like psychosis and addiction while delaying proven treatments.
Some limited benefits were seen for conditions like insomnia and autism, but the evidence is weak.
The findings are fueling calls for stricter oversight as cannabis use continues to rise.
You might also wanna read
Exercise Shows Comparable Effectiveness to Therapy for Depression Treatment
A comprehensive review of scientific studies finds that exercise can be as effective as psychological therapy for treating depression, with
Study Finds Prozac No More Effective Than Placebo for Treating Childhood Depression
Research shows Prozac has no clinical benefit over placebo for treating depression in children and adolescents, leading experts to recommend
theguardian.com·6mo ago
Research Review Finds Association Between Cat Ownership and Increased Schizophrenia Risk
A comprehensive analysis of 17 studies spanning 44 years across 11 countries found a significant association between cat ownership and incre
sciencealert.com·6mo ago
Researchers develop phage-based preventive treatment for newborn meningitis caused by E. coli K1
Researchers from the Biozentrum, University of Basel, and ETH Zurich have developed a novel preventive treatment for newborn meningitis caus
biozentrum.unibas.ch·1h ago
Exploring the science behind quantum effects in healthcare: separating research from pseudoscience
The article explores the intersection of quantum physics and healthcare, distinguishing between pseudoscientific "quantum therapies" and leg
newscientist.com·6h ago
Experimental pill daraxonrasib nearly doubles survival time in advanced pancreatic cancer trial
A novel experimental pill called daraxonrasib has shown promise in extending survival for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. The drug
chicagotribune.com·6h ago