WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Medical cannabis is often used for problems like chronic pain, anxiety and sleep issues, but a large review led by UCLA Health found that there is still little strong scientific proof that it works for many of these uses.
The study, published in JAMA, reviewed more than 2,500 research papers published between 2010 and 2025. From these, researchers closely examined over 120 high-quality studies based on factors like size, relevance and how recent they were.
Notably, the researchers found clear benefits only in a few cases. Approved medical cannabis treatments were shown to help with appetite loss in people with HIV/AIDS, nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, and severe childhood seizure disorders such as Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
For people using medical cannabis for common reasons, the evidence was much weaker. This included chronic pain, which is one of the main reasons people take it. The researchers said the evidence was 'uncertain or insufficient,' meaning it is not strong enough to clearly prove that it works.
Dr Michael Hsu from UCLA Health said many people believe medical cannabis helps with pain, but there is a gap between public belief and what has actually been proven in clinical studies. More than half of medical cannabis users take it for some form of chronic pain.
'While many people turn to cannabis seeking relief, our review highlights significant gaps between public perception and scientific evidence regarding its effectiveness for most medical conditions,' said Hsu.
'Clear guidance from clinicians is essential to support safe, evidence-based decision-making when discussing medical cannabis with their patients.'
The study also found that 29 percent of people using medical cannabis met the criteria for cannabis use disorder, which can increase the risk of heart and blood vessel problems.
Dr Hsu said more research is needed to better understand the benefits and risks of medical cannabis, as the wide range of studies reviewed used different methods, which may have influenced the results.
'Patients deserve honest conversations about what the science does and doesn't tell us about medical cannabis,' Hsu said.
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