Key Summary
- A major The Lancet review finds cannabis offers little real benefit for most mental health conditions despite growing use.
- Researchers across Australia and England say evidence is weak, even after analysing decades of studies.
- Experts warn people may be misled by hype and clinics, as UK regulators review current cannabis policies.
A recent analysis published in The Lancet, breaks the myth of cannabis as an effective cure for mental health disorders.
The claim was made by the researchers from universities in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne in Australia along with Bath in England, after conducting the largest-ever and comprehensive analysis on cannabis, The Guardian reports.
The studies assessed cannabinoids as a primary treatment for mental disorders or substance-use disorders.
After examining 54 clinical trials involving 2, 477 people between 1980 and 2025, the researchers found that cannabis-based medicines show little improvement in mental health or substance-use disorders, while its usage is growing in the US, Canada, Australia, and the UK.
Usually, these medicines are recommended for conditions such as anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep problems, opioid-use disorder, psychotic disorders, autistic traits, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and bipolar disorder.
Cannabinoids are also popular to help manage tic severity among Tourette’s syndrome patients.
Similarly, cannabidiol, also known as CBD and THC that helps people feel high from marijuana helps to manage cannabis withdrawal symptoms and lower cannabis consumption among people with addiction.
However, lead author of the analysis, Jack Wilson from the University of Sydney’s The Matilda Centre said that the overall evidence does not prove cannabis is an effective medication, while it has benefitted some.
The researchers said there is little justification for the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of mental disorders and substance use disorders, as the evidence has been scarce.
Sir Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at King’s College London told the daily that there is little
Sir Robin Murray, professor of psychiatric research at King’s College London told the daily that the people are being misled by the cannabis industry and the rapidly increasing cannabis clinics in the UK. He claimed these clinics “operate as drug dealers for the middle class.”
Currently, the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs is reviewing how the legalisation of cannabis-based products in 2018 is working.
