Overview
- A narrative review of more than 2,500 studies concluded that support for most medical uses of cannabis or cannabinoids is limited or insufficient.
- Clear benefits were confined to FDA‑approved products such as dronabinol and cannabidiol for HIV/AIDS‑related appetite loss, chemotherapy‑induced nausea and vomiting, and certain severe pediatric seizure disorders.
- Randomized trials did not show meaningful benefit for common targets including chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety and post‑traumatic stress disorder.
- Safety signals included higher rates of psychotic symptoms and anxiety in young users of high‑potency products, increased cardiovascular risks with daily inhaled use, and about 29% of medical users meeting criteria for cannabis use disorder.
- Authors advise clinicians to screen for cardiovascular risk and mental health history, check for drug interactions, and counsel realistically, while noting the review’s limits as a narrative synthesis with substantial observational evidence.