In a new study, researchers found that people with mental disorders cannot get real health benefits from cannabis.
They reviewed 83 previous studies on medical cannabinoids, including products from the cannabis plant, such as leaves, buds and oils.
They found little evidence that the cannabis products were safe and effective in treating common mental disorders including depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD, and psychosis.
The research was conducted by a team from the University of New South Wales and elsewhere.
Cannabis and cannabinoids are increasingly being made available for medicinal use in North America, Britain and Australia without undergoing standard testing.
But no reviews have considered the varying effects of the different types of cannabinoids or their safety, and the only studies into long-term effects were conducted on individuals using cannabis for recreational use.
In the study, the team found that after chronic non-cancer pain, mental health is one of the most common reasons for using medicinal cannabinoids.
In most randomized-controlled studies of the effects of cannabinoids on depression and anxiety, the use was related to another condition, like chronic pain or multiple sclerosis.
Some studies showed improvement in anxiety symptoms, but it was unclear if that effect was due to improvements in the primary condition.
The team says there are health risks of developing a dependence upon cannabis. People who use cannabis regularly may be at increased risk of developing depression and psychotic symptoms.
Also, getting the drugs via the illicit market could carry the risk of prosecution as well as unknown product content, quality, and safety.
The researchers say that future work is needed to clarify the health benefits of cannabis products on people’s mental health.
The lead author of the study is Louisa Degenhardt from the University of New South Wales.
The study is published in The Lancet Psychiatry.
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