Study published by the journal Pharmacopsychiatry showed improvement in chronic depression
The medicinal use of cannabis has been indicated for the treatment of symptoms of a series of diseases and disorders, including those related to mental health. This is the case of depression, anxiety, etc.
A study recently published by the scientific journal Pharmacopsychiatry, and carried out by researchers at the LVR University Hospital in Essen, Germany, showed, for example, that treatment with medical cannabis improved symptoms of chronic depression, although the authors agree that more studies are needed.
An important point revealed by the research is that, in addition to the improvement of symptoms, there were no serious side effects. “Medical cannabis was well tolerated and the dropout rate was comparable to that of clinical trials with antidepressant medications,” the authors said, noting that patients reported a significant reduction in the severity of depression.
The study looked at 59 patients with chronic depression. All had already been unsuccessfully treated with traditional drugs and started to use cannabis medicinally for 18 weeks, starting in 2021. According to the results of the study, in 14 patients (23.7%), the severity of depression recorded was reduced by half after just six weeks.
Regarding side effects, 35.6% said that some manifested briefly, such as dry eyes, dry mouth and increased appetite. Two patients (3.4%) reported concentration problems, fatigue or disorientation, while one reported nausea, headaches, taste changes, sore throat, lethargy and restlessness. No serious side effects such as psychosis were recorded.
Other studies have also shown benefits in the medicinal use of cannabis for the treatment of depression and other mental illnesses. In 2022, for example, a study published in the journal Psychiatry Research, in which 7000 patients with symptoms of anxiety and/or depression participated, showed improvements after using cannabis. Another 2023 study, published in the journal Biomedicines, found reductions in pain, depression, and opioid use among elderly patients.
There is agreement among researchers that new studies are needed so that more information can be collected and the benefits of the medicinal use of cannabis can be applied, especially in cases where traditional drugs no longer produce effects or even cause many side effects.