Daily Research & Patient Questions
Table of Contents
- Daily Research & Patient Literature Board
- Literature Presentation Boards
- 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
- Reducing Cannabis Use in Young Adults With Psychosis Using iCanChange, a Mobile Health App: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (ReCAP-iCC)
- Assessment of Orally Administered Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol When Coadministered With Cannabidiol on Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial
- Acute effects of cannabigerol on anxiety, stress, and mood: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, field trial
- Cannabidiol Increases Psychotropic Effects and Plasma Concentrations of Δ 9 ‐Tetrahydrocannabinol Without Improving Its Analgesic Properties
- Cannabis oil extracts for chronic pain: what else can be learned from another structured prospective cohort?
- A remote brief intervention plus social media messaging for cannabis use among emerging adults: A pilot randomized controlled trial in emergency department patients
- Cannabinoid therapeutics in orofacial pain management: a systematic review
- Cannabinoids for Chronic Pain: Translating Systematic Review Findings Into Clinical Action
- 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.
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 →Reducing Cannabis Use in Young Adults With Psychosis Using iCanChange, a Mobile Health App: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (ReCAP-iCC)
This protocol outlines the first randomized controlled trial evaluating a mobile health intervention (iCanChange) integrating CBT and motivational interviewing for cannabis use disorder in young adults with first-episode psychosis.
Read the findings and why they matter →Assessment of Orally Administered Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol When Coadministered With Cannabidiol on Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics in Healthy Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Clinicians should be cautious when prescribing CBD-dominant cannabis products, as they may produce stronger adverse effects than expected.
Read the findings and why they matter →Acute effects of cannabigerol on anxiety, stress, and mood: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover, field trial
Cannabigerol (CBG) may be a promising option for reducing anxiety and stress in healthy adults without causing impairment or significant side effects.
Read the findings and why they matter →Cannabidiol Increases Psychotropic Effects and Plasma Concentrations of Δ 9 ‐Tetrahydrocannabinol Without Improving Its Analgesic Properties
Clinicians should be aware that while CBD may increase the psychoactive effects of THC, it does not enhance its analgesic properties.
Read the findings and why they matter →Cannabis oil extracts for chronic pain: what else can be learned from another structured prospective cohort?
Sublingual THC:CBD oil extracts administered at modest, individually titrated daily doses (around 20 mg each) provided statistically significant, modest long-term improvements in chronic pain and associated disease burden (sleep, anxiety, and quality of life) with a reasonable safety profile.
Read the findings and why they matter →A remote brief intervention plus social media messaging for cannabis use among emerging adults: A pilot randomized controlled trial in emergency department patients
Combining a brief motivational interviewing session with 4 weeks of tailored health coaching via a familiar social media platform (Snapchat) is a highly acceptable, engaging approach for reaching cannabis-using emerging adults in emergency care settings.
Read the findings and why they matter →Cannabinoid therapeutics in orofacial pain management: a systematic review
While current systemic and oral cannabinoid formulations lack robust evidence for managing acute orofacial and post-operative dental pain, topical transdermal CBD demonstrates potential for localized myofascial temporomandibular disorder pain.
Read the findings and why they matter →Cannabinoids for Chronic Pain: Translating Systematic Review Findings Into Clinical Action
Clinicians should support patients with chronic pain in exploring cannabis as an alternative to opioids, while ensuring they do not replace disease-modifying treatments.
Patients with chronic pain may successfully substitute cannabis for pain medications. The risk-benefit calculation favors cannabis over opioids due to lower all-cause mortality. Patients should not substitute cannabis for disease-modifying drugs.
This review suggests that while cannabinoids may offer a safer alternative to opioids for some patients seeking relief from chronic pain, they should not be viewed as a replacement for treatments designed to alter the underlying disease process.
In their article, McDonagh and colleagues reported a systematic review of placebo-controlled trials and cohort studies to investigate the benefits and harms of cannabinoids for treatment of chronic pain. The editorialists discuss the limitations and strength of available evidence on cannabis as treatment of chronic pain and share their own advice for engaging with patients interested in using cannabis to treat chronic pain.
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
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