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 .
Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is effective in the treatment of tics in Tourette syndrome: a 6-week randomized trial.
BACKGROUND Preliminary studies suggested that delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol ( THC ) , the major psychoactive ingredient of Cannabis sativa L. , might be effective in the treatment of Tourette syndrome ( TS ) . This study was performed to investigate for the first time under controlled conditions , over a longer-term treatment period , whether THC is effective and safe in reducing tics in TS . METHOD In this r and omized , double-blind , placebo-controlled study , 24 patients with TS , according to DSM-III-R criteria , were treated over a 6-week period with up to 10 mg/day of THC . Tics were rated at 6 visits ( visit 1 , baseline ; visits 2 - 4 , during treatment period ; visits 5 - 6 , after withdrawal of medication ) using the Tourette Syndrome Clinical Global Impressions scale ( TS-CGI ) , the Shapiro Tourette-Syndrome Severity Scale ( STSSS ) , the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale ( YGTSS ) , the self-rated Tourette Syndrome Symptom List ( TSSL ) , and a videotape-based rating scale . RESULTS Seven patients dropped out of the study or had to be excluded , but only 1 due to side effects . Using the TS-CGI , STSSS , YGTSS , and video rating scale , we found a significant difference ( p < .05 ) or a trend toward a significant difference ( p < .10 ) between THC and placebo groups at visits 2 , 3 , and /or 4 . Using the TSSL at 10 treatment days ( between days 16 and 41 ) there was a significant difference ( p < .05 ) between both groups . ANOVA as well demonstrated a significant difference ( p = .037 ) . No serious adverse effects occurred . CONCLUSION Our results provide more evidence that THC is effective and safe in the treatment of tics . It , therefore , can be hypothesized that the central cannabinoid receptor system might play a role in TS pathology
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 .