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 .
Double-blind comparison of the antiemetic effects of nabilone and prochlorperazine on chemotherapy-induced emesis.
The antiemetic effect of oral nabilone , a synthetic cannabinoid , given at a dose of 2 mg every 12 hours was compared to oral slow-release capsules of prochlorperazine given at a dose of 10 mg every 12 hours by a double-blind crossover method in 37 patients receiving cancer chemotherapy .  Patients received one of the following as the primary emetic stimulus : high-dose cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II ) ( DDP ) , low-dose DDP , mechlorethamine , streptozotocin , actinomycin D , or DTIC . Although results varied according to strength of emetic stimulus received , both nabilone and prochlorperazine appeared to produce antiemetic effects . Eighteen of the 37 patients achieved a complete or partial elimination of symptoms : seven with nabilone alone , three with prochlorperazine alone , and eight with each drug . Nabilone appeared to be the more effective antiemetic for patients who received chemotherapy agents other than high dose DDP ; it was equivalent to prochlorperazine for those who did receive high-dose DDP . Side effects from prochlorperazine were limited to mild drowsiness occurring among 35 % of the patients . The side effects from nabilone were drowsiness and dizziness which occurred frequently and were dose-limiting in 25 % of patients
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 .