Are you contemplating the use of marijuana to alleviate issues like anxiety, pain, muscle spasms, pregnancy-related nausea, or sleep problems? It might come as a revelation that there is a scarcity of reliable evidence regarding the advantages of marijuana, as highlighted in a recent examination of over 100 clinical trials and meta-analyses.
Interestingly, a significant portion of the study’s compelling findings actually emphasised the potential drawbacks associated with marijuana usage. This is particularly pertinent for pregnant individuals, individuals with mental health conditions, and the demographic of adolescents and young adults, who presently constitute the majority of cannabis consumers.
After applying very strict quantitative criteria, and accounting for both observational studies and experimental trials, most of the associations between cannabis and health outcomes were supported by very low or low credibility.
Dr. Marco Solmi, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Ottawa and investigator at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in Canada.
The analysis did uncover certain advantages linked to the use of cannabis, particularly in terms of reducing seizures, managing chronic pain, and alleviating muscle spasms. Carol Boyd, the inaugural director of the Center for the Study of Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking & Health at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, who was not associated with the study, mentioned that these benefits were identified.
However, when it comes to research involving seizures, nausea, and pain, a significant portion of the studies have centred around the effects of meticulously produced synthetic cannabis or extracts. Robert Page II, a clinical pharmacologist who led the medical writing team for the American Heart Association’s 2020 scientific statement on marijuana and had no involvement in this study, pointed out that such laboratory-derived cannabis-based medications adhere to exceptionally rigorous standards. Some of these medications might even be subject to regulation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This level of regulation does not extend to the majority of products that the general public can purchase from local cannabis dispensaries, Page noted.
The most concerning findings are the multidimensional detrimental effects of cannabis on brain function, as reflected by associations with poor cognition (and) mental disorders. If we pair these findings with the fact that almost 2/3 of those with mental disorders have onset before age 25, it sounds reasonable to state that cannabis should be avoided in younger strata of the population.
Dr. Marco Solmi, associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Ottawa and investigator at Ottawa Hospital Research Institute in Canada.
