Study: Cannabis Effective for Anxiety & Depressive Symptoms

368 cannabis users and 170 control subjects participated in an observational study about their anxiety and depressive disorder symptoms, as well as their sleep quality, quality of life, and co-morbid chronic pain. The results were published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry in September 2021.

At the first survey, patients using cannabis reported improvements in depression, sleep quality, quality of life, and reduced pain on average - but not anxiety. However, during the follow-up periods every 3 months, initiating cannabis WAS associated with "significantly decreased anxiety and depressive symptoms".

Participants were predominantly female (79%), Caucasian (83%), with a mean age of 46. 82% used CBD dominant products while 23% used THC dominant products. 139 participants knew the cannabinoid amounts in their medicine, and their average dose of oral CBD reported was 61 mg and the average oral THC dose was 2.1 mg. Most participants used a CBD dominant product AND a THC dominant product.

"Medicinal cannabis use may reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms in clinically anxious and depressed populations."

The full paper is available at Frontierin.org here.