2021
CBD in everyday clinical practice
A Canadian clinic analysed 279 courses of treatment: those in severe distress reported improvement — those with mild symptoms sometimes the opposite.
What was investigated
A network of cannabis clinics in Québec analysed the courses of treatment of 279 adults who had been prescribed a CBD-rich oil — 68 per cent women, average age 61. Pain, anxiety, low mood and general wellbeing were recorded on the ESAS-r scale, at the start of treatment and again after three and six months. The analysis was split between mild and moderate to severe symptoms.
What was found
After three months all average values were lower than at the start. The difference between the groups was, however, greater than the difference over time: those who reported moderate to severe symptoms at the start reported marked improvement; among those with mild symptoms the values for pain, anxiety and wellbeing actually rose. Between the third and the sixth month nothing changed statistically. Adding THC at the first follow-up made no difference.
What the study does not show
A retrospective observational study without a control group — it allows no conclusion about cause and effect. The values come from self-reporting and may be coloured by expectations of the treatment. People who find their way to a cannabis clinic are also not the average. Missing data removed a good half of the original cases from the analysis, and far fewer people attended the six-month appointment. The authors call for controlled clinical trials.
Source
Rapin L, Gamaoun R, El Hage C, Arboleda MF, Prosk E. Journal of Cannabis Research 2021;3:19
To the study