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Cannabis for addiction

Studies whose primary subject is both Cannabis and Addiction, with an evidence synthesis read across the most-cited and most recent of them.

State of the evidence

Synthesized

Synthesized from 25 studies in the library · AI-generated, grounded in the abstracts below

Found by searching the library for Cannabis, marijuana, THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, Addiction, substance use disorder, then ranked by relevance.

The research on cannabis for addiction is mixed and mostly indirect. Cannabinoid medicines do not appear to help cannabis use disorder: one meta-analysis found a single trial where cannabinoids worsened cannabis use disorder severity, with no effect on craving or withdrawal, and THC increased treatment dropouts due to adverse events. Observational and preclinical work links cannabis to risk of dependence and to neuroadaptive changes, while separate lines of research on ayahuasca and classic psychedelics (not cannabis) report reductions in problematic substance use. Overall the evidence does not support cannabis or cannabinoids as a treatment for addiction, and certainty is low.

Evidence by study

Direction is which way each study's own result points, not our rating of the study.

What the directions mean
Supports:
the study found the intervention worked, or its hypothesis held.
Opposes:
it found the opposite, no benefit or a harm.
No effect:
no significant difference either way.
Mixed:
effects in both directions within the same study.
Unclear:
the abstract does not report a direction.
Study Design Sample size Direction Finding
Cannabis and cannabinoids for the treatment of mental and substance use disorders and symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental and observational studies. 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis Opposes Across 82 experimental and 118 observational studies, cannabinoids worsened cannabis use disorder severity in one RCT (SMD 2.35) with no effect on craving or withdrawal, evidence for alcohol, opioid and tobacco use disorders was very limited, and THC increased withdrawals due to adverse events (OR 2.78).
The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies 2018 review Opposes Heavy repeated cannabis use, particularly during adolescence, is associated with adverse effects on neurocognitive systems that increase the risk of mental illnesses including addiction and psychosis.
Mental health consequences of contemporary cannabis use in Europe: potency, patterns of use, and health system context 2026 narrative review Opposes Argues that high-potency cannabis products are consistently linked to elevated risks of psychosis, anxiety, panic, derealisation and cannabis use disorder, with cannabis-related psychiatric complications underestimated in Central and Eastern Europe.
Redefining Recovery: The Expanding Cannabis Landscape and Its Implications for the California Sober Approach in Addiction 2026 review Mixed Argues that the California Sober approach allowing cannabis offers flexibility but carries risks of cannabis use disorder and substituting one addiction for another, requiring personalized treatment strategies.
Chronic adolescent exposure to cannabis in mice leads to sex-biased changes in gene expression networks across brain regions 2022 experimental animal study Opposes High-dose adolescent THC exposure induced sex- and brain-region-specific transcriptomic changes, with four key driver genes in the nucleus accumbens linked to cannabis use disorder vulnerability in humans.
Tolerance, physical dependence, and Δ9-THC-like interoceptive effects of cannabinol in mice. 2026 preclinical animal study Opposes Repeated cannabinol administration produced tolerance to cannabimimetic effects and physical dependence evidenced by rimonabant-precipitated withdrawal, and cannabinol fully substituted for THC in discrimination tests.
Dopamine, γ-aminobutyric acid, and glutamate balance in the nucleus accumbens shell: Differential effects of cannabinoid 1 receptor agonists Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, AM11101, and AM8936. 2026 experimental animal study Mixed CB1 agonists differentially altered dopamine, GABA and glutamate levels in the nucleus accumbens shell, with low-dose THC increasing dopamine and GABA and high doses decreasing dopamine, and THC and the full agonist increasing conditioned place preference.
Repeated Tetrahydrocannabinol Injections Induce Tolerance but Do Not Disrupt Ongoing Behaviour Upon Withdrawal in Male and Female Rats With Inflammatory Pain. 2026 experimental animal study No effect Repeated THC injections produced tolerance but no evidence of spontaneous withdrawal over six days, and persistent inflammatory pain did not alter these effects.
Abnormal developmental of hippocampal subfields and amygdalar subnuclei volumes in young adults with heavy cannabis use: A three-year longitudinal study. 2025 longitudinal observational study 42 Opposes Young adults with heavy cannabis use disorder showed accelerated volumetric decreases in hippocampal and amygdala subregions over three years compared with controls.
Evidence That Cannabis Exposure, Abuse, and Dependence Are Related to Glutamate Metabolism and Glial Function in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex: A 1H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study 2020 observational cohort 73 Mixed Lower myo-inositol was related to greater problematic drug use and cannabis dependence severity, and past-year cannabis exposure was associated with higher glutamate metabolites in male but not female users.
Neural Correlates of the Severity of Cocaine, Heroin, Alcohol, MDMA and Cannabis Use in Polysubstance Abusers: A Resting-PET Brain Metabolism Study 2012 cross-sectional 49 Opposes Duration of cannabis use negatively correlated with brain metabolism in the dorsolateral prefrontal and temporal cortex in polysubstance users.
Psychedelic symptoms of cannabis and cocaine use as a function of trait impulsivity 2015 three-way crossover study 122 Mixed Cannabis increased dissociation, psychedelic state, fatigue, confusion, depression and anxiety and decreased arousal and positive mood, with only a few subjective items showing a drug by trait impulsivity interaction.
New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) – a Challenge for the Addiction Treatment Services 2017 review Opposes Synthetic cannabinoid users may present with epileptic seizures, loss of consciousness and persisting psychopathological disorders, unlike cannabis users.
Substance-Induced Psychoses: An Updated Literature Review 2021 narrative review Opposes Reports that abuse of methamphetamines, cannabis and cocaine plays a large role in increasing episodes resembling psychotic disorder, with propensity to psychosis a function of severity of use and addiction.
New psychoactive substances of natural origin: A brief review 2017 review Opposes Reviews natural new psychoactive substances including synthetic cannabinoids derived from cannabis, highlighting their potential for abuse and the need for control measures.
Partydrogen im Überblick 2026 review Opposes Notes that alcohol and cannabis are the most commonly consumed party drugs and that party drug use is associated with acute and long-term risks varying by substance and context.
MDMA Use by Paris Medical Students: Prevalence and Characteristics 2020 cross-sectional study 592 Opposes MDMA use was associated with male sex, tobacco and cannabis use, other illicit drug use and frequent alcohol consumption.
Effects of Ayahuasca and its Alkaloids on Drug Dependence: A Systematic Literature Review of Quantitative Studies in Animals and Humans 2016 systematic review Supports Ayahuasca or its components improved addiction-related outcomes in all five animal studies, and four of five observational human studies reported significant reductions in dependence symptoms or substance use.
Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada 2013 observational study Supports Ayahuasca-assisted therapy was associated with statistically significant improvements in several factors related to problematic substance use.
Assessment of addiction severity among ritual users of ayahuasca 2010 observational cohort 127 Supports Ritual ayahuasca users showed significantly lower Addiction Severity Index Alcohol Use and Psychiatric Status scores than controls, with abstinence from illicit drugs maintained at one year except for cannabis.
Long-Term Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Associated with Naturalistic Ayahuasca Consumption. 2025 prospective cohort study 66 Mixed Ayahuasca use was associated with persisting improvements in mental health up to 12 months, but decreases in alcohol and cannabis use were observed only at month 1.
Persisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: An Online Survey 2020 cross-sectional survey Supports Psychedelic use was associated with self-reported reductions in problematic substance use, though the design cannot determine causality.
User perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use: A web-based questionnaire study 2010 cross-sectional survey 600 Supports Users reported less harm from classic hallucinogens than from cannabis and other drugs, and reported benefits including help with addictions.
Classic Psychedelics in Addiction Treatment: The Case for Psilocybin in Tobacco Smoking Cessation 2022 review Supports Reviews research suggesting classic psychedelics are associated with high success rates in preliminary studies for alcohol and tobacco use disorders, and calls for research on cannabis use disorder.
High hopes? Precision psychedelic addiction medicine 2025 theoretical paper Unclear Argues that integrating neuroimaging biomarkers within psychedelic addiction research can catalyse a shift toward a theragnostic framework for personalized treatment.

Points of agreement

  • Cannabinoids are not supported as an effective treatment for cannabis use disorder; one trial found worsened severity and no effect on craving or withdrawal.
  • Cannabis and cannabinoids carry dependence liability, with preclinical models showing tolerance, withdrawal and reward-related neurochemical effects.
  • Heavy or high-potency cannabis use is repeatedly linked to cannabis use disorder and other psychiatric harms.
  • Separate research on ayahuasca and classic psychedelics reports reductions in problematic substance use, but these are not cannabis-based treatments.

Conflicts

  • Observational studies of cannabinoids suggest improvements in substance use outcomes, while randomized trial evidence shows worsening of cannabis use disorder severity and no benefit.
  • Some reviews emphasize cannabis-related psychiatric harm, while user surveys report perceived benefits including help with addictions.
  • Preclinical studies disagree on withdrawal: one shows precipitated withdrawal and dependence, another finds no spontaneous withdrawal.

Gaps

  • Very limited randomized evidence for cannabis or cannabinoids in alcohol, opioid and tobacco use disorders.
  • No controlled trials of cannabis-based treatment for cannabis use disorder with adequate sample size.
  • Durability of any substance-use reductions is unclear; one cohort found alcohol and cannabis reductions only at one month.
  • Most human evidence is observational, self-report or cross-sectional, with high risk of bias and inability to establish causality.
  • Little evidence on dose, product potency, sex differences and long-term outcomes in clinical populations.
Browse these studies in the library

Common questions

What does the research agree on about cannabis for addiction?
  • Cannabinoids are not supported as an effective treatment for cannabis use disorder; one trial found worsened severity and no effect on craving or withdrawal.
  • Cannabis and cannabinoids carry dependence liability, with preclinical models showing tolerance, withdrawal and reward-related neurochemical effects.
  • Heavy or high-potency cannabis use is repeatedly linked to cannabis use disorder and other psychiatric harms.
  • Separate research on ayahuasca and classic psychedelics reports reductions in problematic substance use, but these are not cannabis-based treatments.
Where do studies on cannabis for addiction conflict?
  • Observational studies of cannabinoids suggest improvements in substance use outcomes, while randomized trial evidence shows worsening of cannabis use disorder severity and no benefit.
  • Some reviews emphasize cannabis-related psychiatric harm, while user surveys report perceived benefits including help with addictions.
  • Preclinical studies disagree on withdrawal: one shows precipitated withdrawal and dependence, another finds no spontaneous withdrawal.
What is still unknown about cannabis for addiction?
  • Very limited randomized evidence for cannabis or cannabinoids in alcohol, opioid and tobacco use disorders.
  • No controlled trials of cannabis-based treatment for cannabis use disorder with adequate sample size.
  • Durability of any substance-use reductions is unclear; one cohort found alcohol and cannabis reductions only at one month.
  • Most human evidence is observational, self-report or cross-sectional, with high risk of bias and inability to establish causality.
  • Little evidence on dose, product potency, sex differences and long-term outcomes in clinical populations.
How we analyze this

This synthesis reads the 15 most-cited and 10 most recent studies whose primary subject is Cannabis for addiction, up to 25 in all. The most-cited set anchors the established evidence, and the recent set surfaces work that is too new to have gathered citations yet.

A study qualifies only when Cannabis for addiction or a known alias appears in its title or keywords, so broad reviews that mention it only in passing are left out. Each study is read from its abstract, strongest evidence first, and the summary reports the direction of the results along with any conflicts and gaps.

The full method, including what a person does and does not review, is on the methods page.

Ask your own question in the Research Synthesis Tool

57 articles · 10 from the last two years · 2,893 participants across 23 studies reporting sample size

Common study designs

review 11 narrative review 4 experimental study 4 observational study 3 cross-sectional study 3

Research volume by year

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56 studies whose primary subject is cannabis for addiction since 2004

Studies about cannabis for addiction per year, 2004 to 2026, peaking at 7 in 2022 Bar chart: one bar per year, taller where more studies were published that year. 0 4 8 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025
2026 is partial
Show the numbers
Studies about cannabis for addiction per year, 2004 to 2026, peaking at 7 in 2022
Year Studies
2004 1
2005 1
2006 0
2007 0
2008 0
2009 0
2010 2
2011 0
2012 1
2013 2
2014 0
2015 1
2016 1
2017 3
2018 1
2019 1
2020 6
2021 5
2022 7
2023 7
2024 7
2025 3
2026 7

Research

Synthesize the evidence →

Tolerance, physical dependence, and Δ9-THC-like interoceptive effects of cannabinol in mice.

Drug and Alcohol Dependence September 1, 2026 S. Vanegas, J. Marusich, J. Maturano et al.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Cannabinoids, including Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and synthetic CB1 agonists elicit acute psychotropic effects that undergo tolerance with repeated exposure. In contrast, the effects of prolonged cannabinol (CBN) use are unknown. This study examined (1) the effects of repeated CBN administration on classic cannabimimetic outcomes, (2) whether these effects undergo...

DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2026.113341 (opens in new tab)

Cannabis and cannabinoids for the treatment of mental and substance use disorders and symptoms: A systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental and observational studies.

Psychiatry Research August 1, 2026 C. Bharat, Xin-Tong Huang, G. Campbell et al.

BACKGROUND Interest in cannabinoids for mental and substance use disorders is increasing. We examined experimental and observational evidence for treating these disorders and their symptoms. METHODS Systematic review and meta-analysis (PROSPERO CRD42023467536). We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO to May 2025 for studies of cannabinoids in adults (≥18 years) with ADHD, anxiety,...

DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2026.117380 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab)

Mental health consequences of contemporary cannabis use in Europe: potency, patterns of use, and health system context

Frontiers in Psychiatry June 10, 2026 Justyna Śniadach, Sylwia Szymkowiak, Przemysław Osip et al.

Background: Cannabis use has increased across Europe over the last decade, accompanied by growing availability of high-potency THC products and rising psychiatric presentations. Despite these trends, European countries differ substantially in monitoring systems, clinical preparedness and public health responses. These disparities are especially visible between Western Europe, which has more...

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1778831 (opens in new tab) Cannabis Addiction Context archaeology Public health +6

Dopamine, γ-aminobutyric acid, and glutamate balance in the nucleus accumbens shell: Differential effects of cannabinoid 1 receptor agonists Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, AM11101, and AM8936.

Neuropharmacology June 1, 2026 Evan C Smith, Christos Iliopoulos-Tsoutsouvas, Markos-Orestis Georgiadis et al.

Despite being the most prevalently abused illicit drug class, the neurochemical effects of cannabinoids (CBs) in key reward-related brain regions are not fully understood. Here, we used in vivo microdialysis combined with liquid chromatograph mass spectrometry to delineate how single, intraperitoneal injections of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), and synthetic partial (AM11101) and full...

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2026.110891 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Addiction Accumbens Cannabinoid Conditioned place preference +2

Redefining Recovery: The Expanding Cannabis Landscape and Its Implications for the California Sober Approach in Addiction

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction May 5, 2026 Cerina Dubois, Amrit Baral, Riana Durrett et al.

An emerging approach called California Sober (CS) has gained attention for promoting abstinence of all intoxicating substances except cannabis and potentially, psychedelics. Cannabis legalization and the expansion of cannabis products have introduced new complexities in addiction recovery, challenging traditional abstinence-based frameworks such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), which define...

DOI: 10.1007/s11469-026-01660-0 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Law

Repeated Tetrahydrocannabinol Injections Induce Tolerance but Do Not Disrupt Ongoing Behaviour Upon Withdrawal in Male and Female Rats With Inflammatory Pain.

European journal of pain (London, England) May 1, 2026 Michael M Morgan, Christa M. Hickey

Many people use cannabis to self-medicate for pain. Little is known about the impact of pain on tolerance and spontaneous withdrawal to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinal (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis. Our previous research with the opioid morphine suggests persistent pain will increase the magnitude and duration of THC withdrawal. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were...

DOI: 10.1002/ejp.70279 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Cannabis Dependence Sex differences Wheel running

Partydrogen im Überblick

Psychopharmakotherapie 2026 Antonia Bendau, Felix Betzler, Twyla Michnevich et al. 1 citation

Party drugs encompass a broad spectrum of legal and illegal psychoactive substances used in party settings such as clubs, festivals, raves or private gatherings to modulate mood, perception, social interaction and bodily states. Most commonly, alcohol and cannabis are consumed, followed by amphetamine, MDMA (“ecstasy”), cocaine and ketamine. Synthetic cathinones, GHB/GBL (“liquid ecstasy”),...

DOI: 10.52778/ppt20260001 (opens in new tab) Serotonergic MDMA Addiction Cannabis +16

High hopes? Precision psychedelic addiction medicine

Spiral (Imperial College London) December 30, 2025 Rayyan Zafar

Despite decades of neuroscience research and significant investment in addiction neuroimaging, clinical outcomes for individuals with substance use and behavioural addictions remain poor. Only 1.8% of people with substance use disorders receive effective treatment, highlighting a major disconnect between mechanistic understanding and clinical utility. This paper calls for a reorientation of...

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1681795/abstract (opens in new tab) Psilocybin Cannabis Addiction medicine Opioid addiction +11

Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement Reduces Illicit Substance Craving Among People with Alcohol Use Disorder and Polysubstance Use.

Substance Use & Misuse September 2, 2025 Laura Gurrieri, Margaret C Wardle, Eric L Garland

Background: Polysubstance use is common in alcohol use disorder (AUD) and associated with poor treatment outcomes. Cannabis and cocaine often co-used with alcohol, have no approved medication treatments and respond poorly to common behavioral treatments. Thus, treatments that can reduce use of these substances alongside AUD are critically needed. Objectives: We tested whether...

DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2025.2525379 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) Mindfulness Cannabis Alcohol use disorder Humans +11

Long-Term Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Associated with Naturalistic Ayahuasca Consumption.

Journal of Psychoactive Drugs February 20, 2025 Broc A. Pagni, Andreas Halman, Jerome Sarris et al. 7 citations

The durability of ayahuasca's effects on mental health and the influence of clinical diagnoses on therapeutic response is unclear. Adults with no prior exposure to ayahuasca (n = 66) participating in neo-shamanic ayahuasca ceremonies completed questionnaires at baseline, 7 days, and 1, 6, and 12 months. Mixed models were used to characterize temporal trajectories in mental health, alcohol and...

DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2025.2465800 (opens in new tab) Full text (opens in new tab) DMT Anxiety Depression Addiction +10

Clinical trials

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