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 .
A cross‐over comparison of nabilone and prochlorperazine for emesis induced by cancer chemotherapy
AN ANTI-EMETIC DRUG , NABILONE , a synthetic cannabinoid , has been compared with prochlorperazine in 24 lung cancer patients receiving cancer chemotherapy . Each of the drugs studied was given orally every 12 hours , starting the night before chemotherapy , during one of two consecutive identical chemotherapy cycles in accordance with a double-blind crossover r and om order assignment . Single doses were 2 mg of nabilone , or 15 mg of prochlorperazine . The chemotherapeutic regimens given included the following drugs in various combinations : Cis-platinum , vincristine , cyelophosphamide , adriamycin , vinde-sine , and etoposide ( VP16 ) . Nabilone was significantly superior to prochlorperazine in the reduction of vomiting episodes . Side effects , mainly vertigo , were evident in nearly half of the patients after nabilone , and three patients were withdrawn from the study due to decreased coordination and hallucinations after nabilone .  Side effects from prochlorperazine were limited to mild drowsiness in one patient . Two-thirds of the patients preferred nabilone to prochlorperazine . We conclude that nabilone is a moderately effective anti-emetic drug , but that the unpredictability of its side effects call for careful patient information , especially with elderly out patients . We recommend that at least after the first dose of nabilone , the patient should be kept under close observation during 4 hours
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 .