Two long-term cannabis users had vitamin deficiencies and low cortisol
Two long-term cannabis users showed elevated homocysteine, low vitamins, and low cortisol, which improved with supplements and psychotherapy.
Quick Facts
What This Study 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.
Key Numbers
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 They Did This
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.
Why This Research Matters
Long-term cannabis use may be associated with nutritional and hormonal imbalances that could contribute to symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, and depression.
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.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Only two patients with no control group. Multiple interventions were given simultaneously, making it impossible to isolate which treatment drove improvement.
Questions This Raises
- ?Are vitamin deficiencies and hormonal changes more common in long-term cannabis users?
- ?Would supplementation alone reduce cannabis use without psychotherapy?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Both patients improved and reduced cannabis use after 2 months
- Evidence Grade:
- Case report with only two patients, no controls, and multiple simultaneous interventions.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022.
- Original Title:
- Management of Hyperhomocysteinemia, Low Vitamin Levels, and Low Cortisol in Cannabis Users: A Report of 2 Cases.
- Published In:
- Journal of chiropractic medicine, 21(4), 322-326 (2022)
- Authors:
- de Carvalho, Jozélio, Lerner, Aaron, Feingold, Daniel(12)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03792
Evidence Hierarchy
Describes what happened to one person or a small group.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What nutritional problems were found?
Both patients had elevated homocysteine, low vitamin levels, and low cortisol. They were treated with B vitamins, vitamin D, Rhodiola rosea, and L-tyrosine.
Can this prove cannabis caused the deficiencies?
No. With only two patients and no control group, the study cannot establish causation between cannabis use and the nutritional findings.
Read More on RethinkTHC
- 420-sober-survival-guide
- CBT-cannabis-recovery
- THC-amygdala-anxiety-brain
- anandamide-weed-withdrawal
- cannabinoid-receptors-recovery-time
- cannabis-developing-brain-teenagers
- cannabis-relapse-cycle-pattern
- cant-enjoy-anything-without-weed
- cold-turkey-vs-taper-quit-weed
- dating-sober-after-quitting-weed
- dopamine-recovery-after-quitting-weed
- endocannabinoid-system-explained-simply
- endocannabinoid-system-withdrawal
- exercise-quitting-weed-anxiety-brain
- grieving-quitting-weed-loss
- help-someone-quit-weed
- how-to-quit-weed
- journaling-weed-withdrawal
- marijuana-anonymous-SMART-recovery-compare
- meditation-mindfulness-weed-withdrawal
- nervous-system-weed-withdrawal-fight-flight
- partner-still-smokes-weed
- partner-still-smokes-weed-quitting
- pink-cloud-sobriety-cannabis
- quit-weed-cold-turkey
- quit-weed-or-cut-back-which-is-better
- quit-weed-regret-went-back
- quitting-weed-20s
- quitting-weed-30s
- quitting-weed-after-years
- quitting-weed-during-crisis-divorce-job-loss
- quitting-weed-exercise
- quitting-weed-grief-loss-coping
- quitting-weed-legal-state
- quitting-weed-success-stories
- quitting-weed-triggers-environment
- relapsed-smoking-weed-what-to-do
- relapsed-weed
- should-i-quit-weed
- sober-music-festival-concert-without-weed
- supplements-weed-withdrawal
- teen-weed-use-under-18-effects-brain
- telling-friends-quitting-weed
- thc-brain-withdrawal
- thc-prefrontal-cortex-brain-effects
- weed-cortisol-stress-hormones
- weed-memory-loss-recovery
- weed-motivation-amotivational-syndrome
- weed-nervous-system-effects
- weed-relapse-prevention-plan
- weed-relapse-why-it-happens
- weed-reward-system-brain
- weed-ritual-replacement
- weed-ruined-relationships
- weed-social-media-triggers-quit
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03792APA
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
MLA
de Carvalho, Jozélio, et al. "Management of Hyperhomocysteinemia, Low Vitamin Levels, and Low Cortisol in Cannabis Users: A Report of 2 Cases.." Journal of chiropractic medicine, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2022.03.001
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Management of Hyperhomocysteinemia, Low Vitamin Levels, and ..." RTHC-03792. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/de-2022-management-of-hyperhomocysteinemia-low
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.