Associations of cannabis use, other substances, and lifestyle choices on anxiety in medical cannabis patients across 45 days.
| Journal | Scientific reports |
| Study Type | Clinical Study |
| Population | Human participants |
This item covers developments relevant to cannabis medicine and clinical practice. Clinicians monitoring evidence in this area should review the source material.
Previous research has shown medical cannabis (MC) to help reduce anxiety for some individuals, although most studies show trends using cross-sectional designs or conduct secondary analyses of preexisting data. The present study systematically tracked 416 registered MC patients in Florida across 45 days to assess daily shifts in anxiety levels. Using daily recording software, collected data included the frequency of MC use, other substances (e.g., alcohol, anxiolytic medication), other activities (e.g., exercise, meditation), length of previous MC use, and history of anxiety, among other demographic variables. Using linear mixed-effects modeling, results showed that MC use led to the largest anxiety relief across the 45-day period. When participants only used other substances or engaged in activities on certain days, they also saw anxiety reductions, but the major factor in any measurable change in anxiety when comparing different groups to one another was MC use. Age, sex, history of M
“This is a development worth tracking. The clinical implications will become clearer as more evidence accumulates.”
💬 Join the Conversation
Have a question about how this applies to your situation? Ask Dr. Caplan →
Want to discuss this topic with other patients and caregivers? Join the forum discussion →
Have thoughts on this? Share it:
FAQ
How did researchers track anxiety in medical cannabis patients over 45 days?
The study followed 416 registered medical cannabis patients in Florida for 45 days using daily recording software. This allowed researchers to assess daily shifts in anxiety levels, and the data were analyzed with linear mixed-effects modeling.
Besides cannabis use, what other factors did the study record?
Along with how often participants used medical cannabis, the data included other substances such as alcohol and anxiolytic medication, activities such as exercise and meditation, how long participants had previously used medical cannabis, their history of anxiety, and other demographic variables.
Did medical cannabis ease anxiety more than exercise, meditation or other substances?
According to the study’s analysis, yes. It reported that medical cannabis use led to the largest anxiety relief across the 45-day period. On days when participants only used other substances or engaged in other activities, they also saw anxiety reductions, but medical cannabis use was the major factor in measurable anxiety change when groups were compared with one another.
How does this study differ from earlier research on cannabis and anxiety?
Earlier research suggested medical cannabis helps reduce anxiety for some people, but most of those studies used cross-sectional designs or secondary analyses of preexisting data. This study instead tracked registered patients systematically with daily recordings rather than relying on preexisting data.
