Most trials showed improvement in symptoms associated with cannabinoids but these associations did not reach statistical significance in all trials .
There was an increased risk of short-term AEs with cannabinoids , including serious AEs .
Common AEs included dizziness , dry mouth , nausea , fatigue , somnolence , euphoria , vomiting , disorientation , drowsiness , confusion , loss of balance , and hallucination .
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE There was moderate- quality evidence to support the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain and spasticity .
There was low- quality evidence suggesting that cannabinoids were associated with improvements in nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy , weight gain in HIV infection , sleep disorders , and Tourette syndrome .
Cannabinoids were associated with an increased risk of short-term AEs
IMPORTANCE Cannabis and cannabinoid drugs are widely used to treat disease or alleviate symptoms , but their efficacy for specific indications is not clear .
OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of the benefits and adverse events ( AEs ) of cannabinoids .
Influence of treatment of Tourette syndrome with delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (delta9-THC) on neuropsychological performance.
Previous studies have suggested that marijuana ( cannabis sativa ) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol ( delta9-THC ) , the major psychoactive ingredient of marijuana , are effective in the therapy of tics and associated behavioral disorders in Tourette Syndrome ( TS ) . Because there is also evidence that cannabis sativa may cause cognitive impairment in healthy users , we performed a r and omized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover trial for delta9-THC in 12 adult TS patients to investigate whether treatment of TS with a single dose of delta9-THC at 5.0 to 10.0 mg causes significant side effects on neuropsychological performance . Using a variety of neuropsychological tests , we found no significant differences after treatment with delta9-THC compared to placebo treatment in verbal and visual memory , reaction time , intelligence , sustained attention , divided attention , vigilance , or mood . Only when using the Symptom Checklist 90-R ( SCL-90-R ) did our data provide evidence for a deterioration of obsessive-compulsive behavior ( OCB ) and a trend towards an increase in phobic anxiety . However , these results should be interpreted with caution as SCL-90-R has known limitations on measuring OCB . We suggest that the increase in phobic anxiety is mainly due to the fact that a single-dose treatment rules out the possibility of administering the dosage slowly . In contrast to results obtained from healthy marijuana users , a single-dose treatment with delta9-THC in patients suffering from TS does not cause cognitive impairment . We therefore suggest that further investigations should concentrate on the effects of a longer-term therapy of TS with delta9-THC
Most trials showed improvement in symptoms associated with cannabinoids but these associations did not reach statistical significance in all trials .
There was an increased risk of short-term AEs with cannabinoids , including serious AEs .
Common AEs included dizziness , dry mouth , nausea , fatigue , somnolence , euphoria , vomiting , disorientation , drowsiness , confusion , loss of balance , and hallucination .
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE There was moderate- quality evidence to support the use of cannabinoids for the treatment of chronic pain and spasticity .
There was low- quality evidence suggesting that cannabinoids were associated with improvements in nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy , weight gain in HIV infection , sleep disorders , and Tourette syndrome .
Cannabinoids were associated with an increased risk of short-term AEs
IMPORTANCE Cannabis and cannabinoid drugs are widely used to treat disease or alleviate symptoms , but their efficacy for specific indications is not clear .
OBJECTIVE To conduct a systematic review of the benefits and adverse events ( AEs ) of cannabinoids .