SynthesisJournal of cannabis research2026
Efficacy, effectiveness and safety of medical cannabis in PTSD: a scoping review.
Synthesis in Journal of cannabis research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
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Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAlthough current treatment guidelines recommend against cannabinoids for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), their use has increased in clinical settings despite fragmented evidence. This review critically examines the efficacy, effectiveness, and safety of cannabinoid-based interventions for PTSD.
methodsWe conducted a scoping review following PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Five databases were searched up to December 22, 2024. Eligible studies included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies, investigating cannabinoids in PTSD-diagnosed populations. Screening, extraction, and quality appraisal independently performed. Quality assessed using validated tools. Main outcomes included PTSD symptom severity and adverse events (AEs).
resultsFrom 1,474 screened titles, 26 studies included: 7 RCTs, 9 prospective, 9 retrospective observational studies, and one unpublished RCT, totaling 3,598 patients. Among the seven RCTs, only one demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in PTSD-related nightmares (nabilone vs. placebo). Two RCTs using inhaled or oral cannabis did not show superiority over placebo. Two additional RCTs evaluating oral THC during fear extinction tasks identified changes in neurobiological activation (e.g., increased ventromedial prefrontal cortex activity or reduced fear renewal) without clinical symptom improvement. The remaining two RCTs involving acute oral CBD administration showed minimal benefit, limited to transient mood or cognitive modulation during trauma recall. Overall, only one of the seven RCTs showed clear clinical efficacy over placebo; the rest showed no significant group differences. Observational studies frequently reported symptom improvements, particularly in nightmares, hyperarousal, sleep, and quality of life; however, these findings are limited by high risk of bias, reliance on self-reported outcomes, and lack of control groups, reducing confidence in causal interpretations. AEs were generally mild (e.g., dry mouth, dizziness). Risk of bias was high in most observational studies and moderate in RCTs.
conclusionsThe current evidence from high-quality RCTs remains insufficient to support clinical use of cannabinoids in treating PTSD. The therapeutic role of cannabinoids in PTSD should be further evaluated through rigorous RCTs.
trial registrationThe review design was developed 'a priori' to data collection initiation but was not registered in PROSPERO prior to initiation.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.