Two long-term cannabis users showed elevated homocysteine, low vitamins, and low cortisol, which improved with supplements and psychotherapy.
Long-term cannabis users and clinicians interested in nutritional health.
Both patients improved and reduced cannabis use after 2 months
What the researchers found
Both patients, who had used cannabis for 9 and 14 years respectively, had abnormal blood levels of homocysteine, vitamins, and cortisol. After two months of targeted supplementation and psychotherapy, both improved and reduced their cannabis consumption.
Why it matters
Long-term cannabis use may be associated with nutritional and hormonal imbalances that could contribute to symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, and depression.
The numbers in context
Patient 1: 28-year-old man, 9 years of use (3x/week). Patient 2: 39-year-old man, 14 years of use (2x/week). Both improved after 2 months of treatment.
How the study worked
Case report describing the clinical management of two long-term cannabis users treated with nutritional supplements (folic acid, methylcobalamin, pyridoxine, vitamin D, Rhodiola rosea, L-tyrosine) and psychotherapy.
What this study cannot tell us
Only two patients with no control group. Multiple interventions were given simultaneously, making it impossible to isolate which treatment drove improvement.
How to read the evidence
Case report with only two patients, no controls, and multiple simultaneous interventions.
When this study was published
Published in 2022.
The bigger picture
These cases suggest that addressing nutritional deficiencies in long-term cannabis users may improve symptoms and potentially reduce consumption, though the evidence is extremely limited.
Questions still open
- Are vitamin deficiencies and hormonal changes more common in long-term cannabis users? Would supplementation alone reduce cannabis use without psychotherapy?
Common questions
What nutritional problems were found?
Can this prove cannabis caused the deficiencies?
Read the original research
Management of Hyperhomocysteinemia, Low Vitamin Levels, and Low Cortisol in Cannabis Users: A Report of 2 Cases.
Journal of chiropractic medicine, 21(4), 322-326
Citation
de Carvalho, Jozélio; Lerner, Aaron; Feingold, Daniel. (2022). Management of Hyperhomocysteinemia, Low Vitamin Levels, and Low Cortisol in Cannabis Users: A Report of 2 Cases.. Journal of chiropractic medicine, 21(4), 322-326. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2022.03.001
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