Medicinal cannabis did not improve depression or anxiety in cancer patients but did help appetite
A meta-analysis of 15 intervention studies found no clinically significant effects of medicinal cannabis on depression, anxiety, or stress in cancer patients, but a 12-fold higher likelihood of improved appetite.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
No clinically significant effects on depression, anxiety, or stress. Higher-dose synthetic THC increased anxiety events (OR 2.0, p<.001). Medicinal cannabis increased likelihood of improved appetite 12-fold (OR 12.3, p<.001) and reduced appetite loss severity. No effects on emotional functioning, mood changes, confusion, or quality of life.
Key Numbers
15 studies, 1,898 participants. 18 interventions tested. Appetite improvement OR: 12.3 (p<.001). Higher-dose synthetic THC anxiety events OR: 2.0 (p<.001). No significant effects on depression, anxiety, stress, mood, QoL, or GI symptoms.
How They Did This
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 15 intervention studies (11 RCTs, 4 non-randomized, N=1,898) from 5 databases through May 2023. Pooled with Review Manager using random-effects models. Evidence appraised with Cochrane tools and GRADE.
Why This Research Matters
Many cancer patients use cannabis hoping it will help their mental health. This meta-analysis shows that while cannabis may benefit appetite, it does not appear to help with depression, anxiety, or stress in cancer, and higher THC doses may actually worsen anxiety.
The Bigger Picture
The appetite finding is notable because cancer cachexia is a major clinical problem. But the lack of benefit for mental health outcomes challenges the assumption that cannabis broadly improves wellbeing in cancer patients. Targeted use for appetite rather than general symptom management may be more appropriate.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Most interventions used synthetic THC (70%), which may differ from whole-plant cannabis. GRADE confidence was low to very low for most outcomes. Small number of studies for some outcomes. Heterogeneous cancer types and treatment contexts.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would whole-plant cannabis products perform differently than synthetic THC for cancer-related anxiety?
- ?Is the anxiety-worsening effect of high-dose THC clinically significant?
- ?Could CBD-dominant products help mental health in cancer without the THC anxiety risk?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 12x more likely to improve appetite; no mental health benefit
- Evidence Grade:
- Systematic review and meta-analysis with GRADE assessment. Most findings had low or very low confidence due to study quality and imprecision.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2024 in Maturitas, covering literature through May 2023.
- Original Title:
- Does medicinal cannabis affect depression, anxiety, and stress in people with cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies.
- Published In:
- Maturitas, 184, 107941 (2024)
- Authors:
- Crichton, Megan, Dissanayaka, Thusharika, Marx, Wolfgang, Gamage, Elizabeth, Travica, Nikolaj, Bowers, Alison, Isenring, Elizabeth, Yates, Patsy, Marshall, Skye
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05237
Evidence Hierarchy
Combines results from multiple studies to find an overall pattern.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does medicinal cannabis help with cancer-related depression or anxiety?
This meta-analysis found no clinically significant effects on depression, anxiety, or stress in cancer patients. In fact, higher doses of synthetic THC were associated with doubled anxiety events.
Does cannabis help cancer patients eat better?
Yes. The meta-analysis found a 12-fold higher likelihood of improved appetite with medicinal cannabis, making appetite stimulation the strongest supported use in cancer care from this analysis.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05237APA
Crichton, Megan; Dissanayaka, Thusharika; Marx, Wolfgang; Gamage, Elizabeth; Travica, Nikolaj; Bowers, Alison; Isenring, Elizabeth; Yates, Patsy; Marshall, Skye. (2024). Does medicinal cannabis affect depression, anxiety, and stress in people with cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies.. Maturitas, 184, 107941. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.107941
MLA
Crichton, Megan, et al. "Does medicinal cannabis affect depression, anxiety, and stress in people with cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies.." Maturitas, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2024.107941
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Does medicinal cannabis affect depression, anxiety, and stre..." RTHC-05237. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/crichton-2024-does-medicinal-cannabis-affect
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.