(CNN) — Are you using or considering using marijuana to treat anxiety, pain, muscle cramps, nausea during pregnancy, poor sleep, and more? New Analysis of Over 100 Clinical Trials and Meta-Analyses You may be surprised that there is so little high-quality evidence on the benefits of marijuana, according to
“After applying very rigorous quantitative criteria and considering both observational and experimental studies, most of the associations between cannabis and health outcomes were supported by very low or low confidence. said study author and associate professor of psychiatry Marco Sormi, PhD. Researcher at the University of Ottawa and Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Canada.
In fact, much of the most compelling evidence in this study specifically pointed to potential harm from marijuana use. pregnant women, People with mental health disorders, and adolescents and young adults who now make up our society majority of cannabis users.
“The most concerning finding is the multidimensional adverse effects of cannabis on brain function, low cognitive (and) mental disorders,said Solmi.
“These findings indicate that nearly two-thirds of people with mental Onset before age 25, It seems reasonable to say that cannabis should be avoided in younger segments of the population,” he said.
Carol Boyd, founding director of the Center for Drugs, Alcohol, Smoking, and Health Research at the University of Michigan, said the study found several benefits of cannabis use, particularly in terms of “reducing seizures, chronic pain, and muscle spasms.” said. Ann Arbor was not involved in the study.
But most studies on seizures, nausea and pain have explored the effects of carefully crafted synthetic cannabis and extracts, says clinical pharmacologist who chaired the 2020 American Heart Association Medical Writing Group. said Robert Page II of A scientific statement on marijuana. Page was also not involved in the study.
While cannabis-based medicines made in such labs have very high standards and may even be regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, most products that the general public can buy at their local cannabis dispensary is not the case, Mr. Page said.
“So, from a public health standpoint, we don’t want individuals reading this and thinking, ‘Oh, I can go to the pharmacy and get rid of my pain.’ The answer is ‘no.’ This is because these studies rarely evaluate products that patients use in the real world. “
Where Marijuana Can Harm You
mental health: When it came to alleviating symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other psychiatric disorders, the analysis found no benefit. In fact, Solmi says the opposite is true.
A review found that mental health can be dramatically affected by cannabis. Studies have found that use of the drug increases the risk of developing psychosis or mental health disorders and worsens clinical outcomes when used after the onset of mental illness.
“For example, in psychotic patients, cannabis increases the risk of relapse and worsens cognitive function,” Solmi explained.
Psychosis is often defined as emotional turmoil severe enough to lose touch with reality and can occur in people with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or severe depression. According to the report, it can also be caused by “lack of sleep, certain prescription drugs, and alcohol and drug misuse.” National Institute of Mental Health.
pregnancy: pregnant woman Too much reliance on cannabis To relieve nausea, especially in early pregnancy, the study i got you. However, the study found “compelling” evidence for a link between cannabis use and risk of having a low-birth-weight baby.
“Most of the literature on nausea during pregnancy is on prescription-level cannabis, which is synthetically produced and carefully controlled for dose, quality and level of THC,” Page said.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the part of the cannabis plant that produces the “high,” he added, which is the main reason marijuana relieves nausea and pain.
“Perception can be altered and affect the experience of pain,” Page says. “We do not recommend the use of cannabis in pregnant women because it is associated with low birth weight and, according to animal data, can affect the brain of the fetus. It can also affect the baby.Are there other safer options?”
Adolescence and early adulthood: The review found that altering perceptions and reality while the brain is still developing, as is the case in adolescence and early twenties, is dangerous for cognition and mental health.
“Adolescents and young adults in particular should be aware that cannabis can adversely affect their mental health, should be well informed about the effects of cannabis, should not use cannabis, or should be public health should be monitored,” he said. Added.
In addition to psychotic symptoms, clinical trials have found compelling evidence between cannabis and its negative effects on memory, verbal cognition and visual recall, the study said.
“Cannabis aggravates multiple cognitive domains,” Solmi said. “Our study cannot answer whether the effects are permanent. More research needs to be done on this topic.”
Young people “should stop using cannabis if they notice a decline in academic performance, social connectivity, mental health, or general functioning,” it added.
Where Marijuana Helps
Areas where marijuana has been shown to benefit include seizure disorders, muscle spasms, chronic pain, and sleep, studies have found, but only in certain people.
“Cannabidiol (CBD) is effective in epilepsy, and cannabis-based medicines may improve spasticity in multiple sclerosis patients, pain in chronic pain conditions, and (and) sleep in cancer patients,” Solmi said. said Mr.
“Overall, cannabis was effective in improving pain across multiple pain measures in different populations. However, there is no evidence that cannabis improves sleep in the general population,” he said. .
And no one suffering from these symptoms should self-medicate with cannabis, Solmi stressed.
“People suffering from epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, or chronic pain should avoid cannabis-induced symptoms, given that cannabis, like any commonly prescribed substance or drug, may be associated with adverse events. Don’t self-medicate, you need to get your doctor’s advice,” Solmi said.
Still, Cinnamon Bidwell, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado at Boulder, who was not involved in the study, said the review found few conclusions with high certainty in either a positive or negative direction. He said it turned out to be somewhere in between.
“This literature is severely constrained by the regulatory walls that restrict cannabis research,” she said. “The biggest lesson to be learned from this overview is that we need to provide a pathway for researchers to conduct more rigorous and validated studies of the many harms and benefits of cannabis available on the legal market. “
