Daily Research & Patient Questions
Table of Contents
- Daily Research & Patient Literature Board
- Literature Presentation Boards
- Cannabinoids and Pain for the Plastic Surgeon
- Age differences in endocannabinoid tone are ameliorated after recent cannabis use
- Adolescent Cannabis Use and Risk of Psychotic, Bipolar, Depressive, and Anxiety Disorders
- Cannabidiol-enriched cannabis extraction product in Parkinson’s disease: A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial in Buriram Hospital
- Adjunctive Transdermal Cannabidiol for Adults With Focal Epilepsy
- Assessment of clinical outcomes in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: analysis from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry
- Cannabidiol treatment in hand osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
- Cannabis in Parkinson’s Disease — the patient’s perspective versus clinical trials: a systematic literature review
- Acute effects of MDMA and LSD co-administration in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy participants
- A social media intervention for cannabis use among emerging adults: Randomized controlled trial
- Ask Dr. Caplan a Question & Explore Answered Patient Archive
- Have a Question?
- Daily Answered Q&A Corkboard Stream
- “Does ingesting cannabis nano emulsions effect nitric oxide production”
- “I have PTSD and keep hearing that cannabis is a lifesaver for trauma. Does medical cannabis actually treat PTSD, or does the clinical research show it can make symptoms worse?”
- “Why does a low dose of cannabis help my anxiety and pain, but if I take slightly more it suddenly makes my anxiety worse and my heart race? Why does it flip like that?”
- “Is THCV truly an appetite suppressant? Why isn't it all over the market?”
- “I have a root canal coming up and someone suggested taking CBD beforehand to calm my nerves and help with the pain after. Does that work?”
- “I am starting chemotherapy next month and I am already nauseous just thinking about it. Does cannabis actually help with that, or is it wishful thinking?”
- “Does medical cannabis help with cancer pain and the general awfulness of advanced cancer?”
- “Is there any evidence for cannabis helping tics in Tourette syndrome? My son has tried a lot of medications without much luck.”
- “My father has Parkinson's and keeps reading that cannabis helps with tremor. Is there anything behind that?”
- How we cite research
- Thank you for your question
Daily Research & Patient Literature Board
New research, explained two ways: a plain-English summary and a deeper scientific read.
Literature Presentation Boards
Browse recent studies from the clinical literature.
Cannabinoids and Pain for the Plastic Surgeon
While preclinical and early human studies suggest that oral and topical CBD may offer safe, adjunctive pain relief with minimal side effects, current clinical evidence remains inconclusive due to small sample sizes.
Read the findings and why they matter →Age differences in endocannabinoid tone are ameliorated after recent cannabis use
Older adults demonstrate diminished baseline levels of specific endocannabinoids and NAEs (AEA, DEA, LEA), reflecting age-related endocannabinoid system decline.
Read the findings and why they matter →Adolescent Cannabis Use and Risk of Psychotic, Bipolar, Depressive, and Anxiety Disorders
Clinicians should be aware of the potential risks associated with adolescent cannabis use, particularly regarding the development of psychiatric disorders.
Read the findings and why they matter →Cannabidiol-enriched cannabis extraction product in Parkinson’s disease: A randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial in Buriram Hospital
This study involved patients diagnosed with Parkinson's disease who were given either a cannabidiol-enriched cannabis product or a placebo.
Read the findings and why they matter →Adjunctive Transdermal Cannabidiol for Adults With Focal Epilepsy
While adjunctive transdermal cannabidiol (ZYN002) at doses of 195 mg or 390 mg daily did not demonstrate statistically significant superiority over placebo in reducing focal seizure frequency over 12 weeks, it exhibited an excellent safety and tolerability profile with minimal gastrointestinal or hepatic adverse events.
Read the findings and why they matter →Assessment of clinical outcomes in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder: analysis from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry
Further research is needed to establish the efficacy and safety of cannabis-based medicinal products in treating PTSD, as current evidence is limited.
Read the findings and why they matter →Cannabidiol treatment in hand osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Low-dose oral synthetic cannabidiol (20-30 mg daily) failed to provide clinically meaningful pain relief or improve sleep and mood scores compared to placebo in patients with hand osteoarthritis or psoriatic arthritis.
Read the findings and why they matter →Cannabis in Parkinson’s Disease — the patient’s perspective versus clinical trials: a systematic literature review
Currently, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of cannabinoids in treating Parkinson's Disease.
Read the findings and why they matter →Acute effects of MDMA and LSD co-administration in a double-blind placebo-controlled study in healthy participants
The co-administration of MDMA with LSD may prolong the subjective effects of LSD without altering their quality, which could be relevant in therapeutic settings.
Read the findings and why they matter →A social media intervention for cannabis use among emerging adults: Randomized controlled trial
A social media-delivered motivational interviewing intervention via secret Facebook groups is a feasible, highly acceptable, and engaging approach to reach non-treatment-seeking emerging adults who use cannabis frequently.
Read the findings and why they matter →Ask Dr. Caplan a Question & Explore Answered Patient Archive
Submit an anonymous question for physician review or browse verified scientific answers on our daily corkboard.
Have a Question?
Submit your question below. Selected questions are answered after physician review.
Daily Answered Q&A Corkboard Stream
Patient questions, answered by a physician.
“Does ingesting cannabis nano emulsions effect nitric oxide production”
We do not currently have human studies showing that cannabis nanoemulsions directly increase or decrease nitric oxide production.
Clinical research indicates that cannabinoids do not "cure" PTSD or reliably lower total PTSD severity scores across the board, but they can offer targeted temporary relief for specific symptom clusters like traumatic nightmares, sleep disruption, and intense hyperarousal.
Cannabis compounds often produce what pharmacologists call a "biphasic effect," meaning low doses and higher doses can produce opposite reactions in the body.
“Is THCV truly an appetite suppressant? Why isn't it all over the market?”
While early research suggests tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) may reduce appetite in some contexts, the evidence is not yet strong enough to call it a reliable or proven weight-loss tool.
“I have a root canal coming up and someone suggested taking CBD beforehand to calm my nerves and help with the pain after. Does that work?”
The one trial that tested exactly this did not find a benefit.
“I am starting chemotherapy next month and I am already nauseous just thinking about it. Does cannabis actually help with that, or is it wishful thinking?”
For nausea that persists despite standard anti-sickness medicine, there is real evidence it helps.
“Does medical cannabis help with cancer pain and the general awfulness of advanced cancer?”
This is a very tricky question - with answers that keep changing with different papers and patient reports.
“Is there any evidence for cannabis helping tics in Tourette syndrome? My son has tried a lot of medications without much luck.”
There is, from a small but carefully designed trial.
“My father has Parkinson's and keeps reading that cannabis helps with tremor. Is there anything behind that?”
For now, less than the enthusiasm suggests.
How we cite research
Every study linked on this page is checked against PubMed so the link goes to the paper it names. If a study can no longer be verified, any answer relying on it is taken down until a physician reviews it again. Software can confirm that a citation is real. It cannot confirm that a study supports what we wrote. That judgment belongs to our reviewing physicians.
Thank you for your question
Your question has been securely submitted to Dr. Caplan and the CED research team.
