“Background: Although pre-clinical experiments associate cannabinoids with reduced depressive symptoms, there is a paucity of clinical evidence. This study aimed to analyze the health-related quality of life changes and safety outcomes in patients prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) for depression.

Methods: An uncontrolled case series of the UK Medical Cannabis Registry was analyzed. Primary outcomes were changes from baseline in the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Sleep Quality Scale (SQS), and EQ-5D-5L at 1, 3, and 6 months. Secondary outcomes included adverse events incidence.

Results: 129 patients were identified for inclusion. Median PHQ-9 at baseline was 16.0 (IQR: 9.0-21.0). There were reductions in PHQ-9 at 1-month (median: 8.0; IQR: 4.0-14.0; p<0.001), 3-months (7.0; 2.3-12.8; p<0.001), and 6-months (7.0; 2.0-9.5; p<0.001). Improvements were also observed in GAD-7, SQS, and EQ-5D-5L Index Value at 1, 3, and 6 months (p<0.050). 153 (118.6%) adverse events were recorded by 14.0% (n=18) of participants, 87% (n=133) of which were mild or moderate.

Conclusion: CBMP treatment was associated with reductions in depression severity at 1, 3, and 6 months. Limitations of the study design mean that a causal relationship cannot be proven. This analysis provides insights for further study within clinical trial settings.”

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36573268/

“This study reports that treatment with CBMPs was associated with improvements in PHQ-9 (p<0.050) after 1, 3, and 6 months in a case series of patients with a primary diagnosis of depression on the UKMCR. This suggests that CBMPs could have antidepressant effects, although the limitations of the study design mean that a causal relationship cannot be proven. CBMP use was also associated with improvements in anxiety, sleep quality, and overall HRQoL (p<0.050).”

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14737175.2022.2161894