Each month our editorial team sifts through hundreds of papers and curates notable findings—for practitioners and informed readers who want to stay current with the evidence. Subscribe to the monthly Research Digest for expert analysis and concise summaries of key papers.
This 2019 systematic review looked at human studies of medicinal cannabis and cannabis-derived isolates for major psychiatric disorders. The authors found that the evidence is very new and limited, so it is too early to recommend cannabis medicines for psychiatric conditions. Some small or isolated studies suggest benefits for a…
This systematic review looked at studies up to November 2023 on cannabis use and mood disorders. The authors included 78 studies and found that cannabis use was generally linked with more depressive and manic symptoms, a higher chance of developing major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD), and a…
This review looked at 34 studies that tested cannabidiol (CBD) for sleep problems. Some studies used mostly CBD and others used CBD with similar amounts of THC. Many studies reported that at least some participants had better sleep, but very few studies focused only on people with insomnia and most…
This review looked at 47 completed clinical trials of cannabinoids (mainly THC and CBD) for brain and nerve conditions. Some trials showed benefits for symptoms like spasticity in multiple sclerosis and for certain forms of epilepsy, but results for pain were mixed. The authors say the evidence is promising but…
The authors reviewed 57 studies of medicinal cannabis for adults with anxiety disorders. Many studies—including over 90% that looked at CBD or THC—reported reduced anxiety symptoms, but the overall study quality was low (mean bias score 62.9/100) and long-term benefits and effects on quality of life are unclear. The review…
