Medical Marijuana Reduces Anxiety And Depression, New Federally Funded Study Shows

Medical marijuana was associated with “significant decreases in
self-reported anxiety and depression” compared to before patients began
treatment with cannabis, according to a new study funded in part by the
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

The observational study, published this month in the Journal of Affective
Disorders, looked at 33 adults in Maryland with “clinically significant”
anxiety and/or depression over a six-month period, evaluating them at
baseline, and then again after one, three and six months from when patients
began using medical cannabis.

“Significant decreases from baseline in anxiety and depression were
observed, with mean scores dropping below clinically significant levels
within three months of initiation,” the study says. Participants also
reported sustained reductions in anxiety and/or depression symptoms over
the six-month study period.

Most patients chose THC-dominant cannabis products. In addition to
self-reported benefits to mental health, they also reported a decline in
their perceived driving ability and an increase in feeling high.

“Acute effects were dose-dependent,” authors wrote: “10–15 mg of oral THC
and at least 3 puffs of vaporized cannabis yielded the most robust
reductions in anxiety and depression.”

Among participants, three-quarters said they had previously used marijuana.
Just over a third (37 percent) said they’d used cannabis within the past
year.

At the time of the study, medical marijuana was legal in Maryland but the
substance remained illegal for nonmedical use.

The six-person team behind the new study represents the Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health
and the university’s Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, as well as
the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research in Melbourne, Australia.

A conflict of interest section of the report notes that some members have
received funding or currently work for companies involved in medical
marijuana.

In addition to NIDA funding, the project also received support a pilot
grant from the Lambert Center for the Study of Medicinal Cannabis and Hemp
at Thomas Jefferson University.

Authors said that while the findings of the new study were promising,
“controlled clinical trials are needed to further investigate the efficacy
and safety of medicinal cannabis for acute anxiety and depression symptom
management.”

While psychedelics have in recent years have shown increasing promise to
treat mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and PTSD, some
cannabis users have long reported that the substance helps manage anxiety
and depression. A number of other recent studies also support the idea.

One recent study, for example, found that legalizing marijuana at the state
level led to fewer filled prescriptions for anti-anxiety medications,
including benzodiazepines, antipsychotics and antidepressants.

Other research late last year found “accumulating” evidence that the
marijuana component CBD “has antidepressant properties in humans and
animals with few side effects” and may also aid in the reduction of
inflammation and formation of new brain cells.

“In summary,” that study said, “there is growing evidence that CBD may be a
promising candidate for the treatment of depression.”

Separate, industry-backed research into the potential anti-anxiety effects
of CBD last year found that an oral CBD solution effectively treated mild
to moderate anxiety, as well as associated depression and poor sleep quality,
with no serious adverse events observed.

As for cannabis more broadly, another study last year into medical
marijuana for chronic pain and mental health found that participants overwhelmingly
reported that cannabis reduced the severity of their depression, anxiety
and sleep issues to at least some degree.

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Funded Study Shows appeared first on Marijuana Moment.