Review finds cannabis not effective for common mental health conditions
Mar 17th 2026
The largest and most comprehensive analysis to date finds little or no benefit from cannabis-based medicines for many common mental health disorders and says routine prescribing is rarely justified.
- A review of 54 randomized controlled trials with 2,477 participants found very little evidence that cannabinoids treat anxiety, anorexia nervosa, psychotic disorders, PTSD, or opioid use disorder.
- No evidence supported medicinal cannabis as an effective treatment for depression.
- Evidence was insufficient or absent for ADHD, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and tobacco use disorder.
- Some modest benefits were reported for reducing cannabis dependence, relieving Tourette syndrome symptoms, improving sleep in insomnia, and lowering autistic traits, but the evidence quality was low.
- Researchers concluded that routine use of cannabinoids for mental health and substance use disorders is rarely justified given current evidence.
- Experts and industry disagreed, and the UK advisory body is reviewing the consequences of legalising cannabis based products for medical use.
Articles
- Cannabis is not an effective treatment for common mental health conditions, says review www.theguardian.com
- The largest-ever review of the safety and efficacy of cannabinoids across a range of mental health conditions — found no evidence that medicinal cannabis is effective in treating anxiety, depression or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). www.ama.com.au
- Medical cannabis isn’t an effective treatment for anxiety, depression or PTSD, new research shows www.scientificamerican.com