Medical marijuana could help to reduce anxiety and depressive symptoms, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Study participants who consumed medical marijuana reported better sleep, quality of life and less pain, according to results published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.
To complete the study, researchers surveyed 368 medical cannabis users and 170 others in a control group.
The participants completed an online survey assessing anxiety and depressive symptoms, cannabis use, sleep, quality of life and comorbid chronic pain.
The respondents then completed additional follow-up surveys in three-month intervals.
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Participants who began consuming medical cannabis during the follow-up period showed significant decreases in anxiety and depressive symptoms, which was not observed in the control group that did not use cannabis.
The study concluded that future placebo-controlled studies are necessary to replicate these findings and to determine the route of administration, dose and product formulation characteristics to optimize clinical outcomes.
