A small clinical trial of vaporized cannabis for PTSD: suggestive results and directions for future study.
Zach Walsh, Ian Mitchell, Kim Crosby, Michelle St Pierre, Drew DeClerck, Kaye Ong, Philippe Lucas
Trials September 9, 2023 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-023-07543-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 5 |
| Population | Individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) |
| Intervention | Placebo |
| Topics | PTSD Cannabis |
| Keywords | Medical cannabis Plant medicine |
| Key findings | In five completers, vaporized medical cannabis produced positive changes consistent with medium-sized within-subject effects for PTSD. The authors report that placebo effects could not be analyzed and conclude that positive trends and high patient need warrant future studies. |
Abstract
The last few decades have seen increasing interest in the use of cannabis for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Recent attempts to evaluate the clinical efficacy of cannabis for PTSD were inconclusive and generalizability was limited by undesirable features of the study drug. The present clinical trial evaluated the effects of a commercially available chemovar that was delivered by vaporization. The study was designed as a randomized placebo-controlled cross-over study with three conditions; however, only five individuals completed the trial, and analysis of the placebo effect was not possible. Results identified positive changes consistent with medium-sized within-subject effects for cannabis in the treatment of PTSD. Positive trending results and high patient need mandate future studies of cannabis for the treatment of PTSD.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabidiol inhibits THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and hippocampal-dependent memory impairment Healthy participants | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 48 |
| Distinct Effects of Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol on Neural Activation During Emotional Processing Healthy, English-native, right-handed men who had used cannabis 15 times or less in... | 2009 | Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial | n = 15 |
| Acute Effects of a Single, Oral dose of d9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD) Administration in Healthy Volunteers Healthy male subjects | 2012 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 16 |
| Modulation of Mediotemporal and Ventrostriatal Function in Humans by Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Healthy, native English-speaking, right-handed men of white race/ethnicity who had used... | 2009 | Randomized controlled trial | n = 15 |
| Cannabidiol (CBD) content in vaporized cannabis does not prevent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-induced impairment of driving and cognition Healthy volunteers with a history of light cannabis use | 2019 | Randomized, double-blind, within-subjects crossover | n = 14 |