Researchers in Australia conducted a systematic review of the use of medical cannabis to treat anxiety disorders. They found that it was a potentially useful tool.
The intensity and form of anxiety can vary from mildly annoying to crippling. One of the most prevalent and debilitating mental conditions in the world. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics anxiety is the most prevalent mental disorder among Australians by 2023.
There are many different treatments available, including benzodiazepines. Antidepressants. Cognitive behavioural therapy. However, these all have certain issues. They don’t always work. Some people are looking for alternatives to traditional therapies. This includes medicinal cannabis.
Researchers from Western Australia conducted a study to review a variety of cannabis-based treatments and interventions that are used for anxiety disorders.
It examined 56 studies that fit their criteria. Despite the high bias risk in some studies due to poor reporting, 70 percent of those 13 best-quality trials reported positive results for anxiety disorders such as generalised anxiety (GAD), post-traumatic anxiety (PTSD), or social anxiety (SAD).
But 30% of these studies showed a negative outcome for disorders such as OCD, trichotillomania and SAD.
Over 90% of studies conducted, even those that were lower quality, showed positive results with cannabis-derived cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabinol. More than half of the studies (53%) omitted or included data that was self-reported on dosage and/or form.
Oral administration was the most popular method (45 studies or 79%). 25 studies (44%) examined non-pharmaceutical cannabis from dispensaries that participants self-reported.
53% of all the studies reported adverse events, the most common being dry mouth (33%), fatigue (18%), somnolence/drowsiness/sleepiness (25%), nausea (19%) and headaches (19%).
The conclusion of the researchers:
The use of medical cannabis has shown promise in the reduction of anxiety, however its long-term effects and impact on overall quality are still unclear. “We need more longitudinal, high-quality research that uses standardised doses.”
Researchers said that given the rise in prescriptions of medicinal cannabis for anxiety, it is imperative to conduct higher-quality research to fill knowledge gaps.
Study was published last month In the Journal Psychiatry Research.