Medical cannabis patients with severe anxiety showed no meaningful improvement over 12 months

Latent class growth analysis identified three anxiety profiles: Minimal (43%), Moderate (36%), and Severe (21%). The Minimal and Moderate groups showed anxiety decreases, but reductions were not clinically meaningful. The Severe group remained stable without improvement. Younger age and female sex predicted Moderate and Severe profiles. Lifetime PTSD and anxiety as primary qualifying condition predicted the Severe group only.

Longitudinal study of 526 Pennsylvania medical cannabis patients (59% female) who completed at least two quarterly GAD-7 anxiety assessments over 12 months (2021-2023). Latent class growth analysis identified anxiety trajectories and their predictors.

Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people seek medical cannabis, yet this longitudinal data shows that patients with severe anxiety do not improve over 12 months of use. This finding challenges the assumption that medical cannabis effectively treats anxiety and highlights the need for additional support for severely anxious patients.

The rapidly expanding medical cannabis market relies heavily on anxiety as a qualifying condition. This study suggests that while less anxious patients may see modest benefits, the patients who arguably need help the most -- those with severe anxiety -- are not getting meaningful relief from medical cannabis alone.

No control group or randomization; patients self-selected into medical cannabis treatment. Cannot determine whether anxiety would have been worse without cannabis. Cannabis products, doses, and formulations varied across patients. Co-use of anxiety medications was noted but not fully characterized.