Medical cannabis could help individuals battling alcohol or opioid abuse disorders curb their addiction, according to a systematic review of mental health literature published in Clinical Psychology Review.
For the review, researchers examined 60 articles on marijuana use and mental health. Thirty-one of the articles focused on the use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes and 29 articles examined cannabis use — not explicitly tied to therapeutic purposes — and mental health.
In addition to identifying preliminary evidence suggesting medicinal marijuana use could help curb addictions to pain medications and alcohol, reviewers found evidence suggesting cannabis use for therapeutic purposes could help mitigate symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and social anxiety. However, reviewers also discovered evidence suggesting therapeutic marijuana may not benefit individuals suffering from bipolar disorder and psychosis.
"In reviewing the limited evidence on medical cannabis, it appears that patients and others who have advocated for cannabis as a tool for harm reduction and mental health have some valid points," said the study's lead author Zach Walsh, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia Okanagan campus.
More articles on quality:
Hospital admissions for Parkinson's patients on the rise
Hospitalizations on the rise as care quality improves for heart failure patients
CMS overall star ratings 'will do more harm than good to patients,' 2 experts say