INTRODUCTION
METHODS
RESULTS
Clinical category | # of claims in sample (N = 467) | Validity of claim based on trial evidence | Availability of trial evidence/comments |
---|---|---|---|
General pain—treats pain, effective at relieving chronic pain, relieve pain from inflammation, pain management for back injuries, may help with bladder pain, helps treat severe pain or post-surgical pain | 37 (7.9%) | Not true | -Mixed or insufficient trial evidence.a,b,c,d,e,f -There is no consistent evidence that cannabis use is useful for general pain and musculoskeletal pain. Most studies of benefit are in patients with neuropathic pain. |
Epilepsy/seizures—treats epilepsy, lowers seizure frequency in epilepsy patients, treats Lennox-Gastaut syndrome/Dravet syndrome | 33 (7.1%) | Partly true | -Mixed or insufficient trial evidence.c,f,g,h -There is trial evidence to support use of cannabinoids in refractory epilepsy of children; however, there is no trial evidence for treatment of epilepsy in adults. |
Anti-nausea/vomiting from chemotherapy—oral cannabinoids and smoked cannabis can be effective against nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy | 22 (4.7%) | True | -Preponderance of trial evidence supports the use of cannabinoid pharmaceuticals in the management of nausea and vomiting of chemotherapy.c,d,e,l There are no high-quality plant-based trial examining the effectiveness of cannabis for the treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. |
Cancer treatment—slows spread of several types of cancer, stops cancer from spreading (at least in cell cultures), slows tumor growth, helps kill cancer cells | 21 (4.5%) | Not true | -No trial evidence available.c,i,j Animal and preclinical studies have suggested that cannabis may have anti-tumor properties. |
Anxiety—may reduce anxiety, may relieve symptoms of social anxiety | 20 (4.3%) | Not true | - There is no trial evidence supporting the use of cannabinoid pharmaceutical in generalized anxiety disorder.c,d,k,l,m,n -Evidence around social anxiety is mixed. Some trials improve symptoms some trials make it worse. |
Multiple sclerosis—decreases spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis, can stop negative neurological effects and muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis | 19 (4.1%) | True | -Preponderance of trial evidence supporting claim.c,d,e,h,o,p The strongest evidence available pertains to oral cannabis extract (cannabidiol or CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and Nabiximols (combination of THC and CBD) for the treatment of the pain and spasticity associated with multiple sclerosis. |
Post-traumatic stress disorder—relieves post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, can help eliminate nightmares associated with post-traumatic stress disorder | 18 (3.9%) | Not true | -No trial evidence.k,m,n,q,r -Cannabis use may negatively affect post-traumatic stress disorder management. |
Sleep—helps with insomnia, promotes sleep, can improve sleep quality, helps eliminate nightmares | 15 (3.2%) | Partly true | -Mixed or insufficient trial evidence.c,d,s -Mixed trial evidence for a variety oral plant-based extracts and pharmaceuticals. More evidence needs to establish efficacy for this indication. Some evidence that THC may have long-term harms. |
Neuroprotective—can prevent brain damage after strokes and trauma, may protect brain from concussions/trauma, protects against degenerative neurological disorders | 15 (3.2%) | Not true | -No trial evidence.c,p Only observational studies showing an association. |
Alzheimer’s disease—used to treat Alzheimer’s, may slow progression, treats neuropsychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer’s including agitation, anxiety and psychosis | 13 (2.8%) | Not true | -Mixed or insufficient trial evidence.m,t,u,v -Few randomized controlled trials, many with high risk of bias. Better quality studies have been negative. |