A comprehensive review cataloged the medical applications of cannabinoids across pain, epilepsy, cancer, multiple sclerosis, nausea, appetite, PTSD, anxiety, eye diseases, and addiction, including six already-approved cannabinoid medications.
Read this if you want a broad overview of every medical condition where cannabinoids have been studied or approved as treatments.
Six cannabinoid medications approved; dozens more conditions under investigation
What the researchers found
This extensive review covered the therapeutic landscape of cannabinoids across dozens of medical conditions.
Six cannabinoid medications had already received regulatory approval: nabilone and dronabinol capsules for chemotherapy nausea and vomiting, dronabinol capsules and oral solution for anorexia, THC:CBD oromucosal spray (Sativex) for MS-related spasticity and cancer pain, and CBD oral solution (Epidiolex) for Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut epilepsy syndromes.
Beyond approved uses, the review found evidence supporting potential applications in inflammatory and neuropathic pain, various cancer types (brain, breast, prostate), neurodegenerative diseases (Parkinson's, Huntington's, Alzheimer's), PTSD and anxiety disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, eye diseases, and substance abuse disorders (particularly alcohol and opioid).
The endocannabinoid system's involvement in energy balance, appetite, blood pressure, pain modulation, nausea, memory, learning, and immune response explains the breadth of potential therapeutic applications.
Why it matters
This review provides a single-source overview of where cannabinoid medicine stands across all major therapeutic areas. It distinguishes between approved uses with established evidence and emerging applications still under investigation, helping readers understand the full spectrum from proven to experimental.
The numbers in context
Six approved cannabinoid medications. Conditions with evidence: pain (cancer, MS, fibromyalgia), epilepsy (Dravet, Lennox-Gastaut), chemotherapy nausea, anorexia, MS spasticity, cancer (brain, breast, prostate), neurodegeneration (Parkinson's, Huntington's, Alzheimer's), PTSD, anxiety, IBS, eye diseases, addiction (alcohol, opioid).
How the study worked
Comprehensive narrative review of preclinical and clinical evidence on cannabinoid therapeutics, covering efficacy, safety, and tolerability data across multiple medical conditions. Includes review of approved medications and ongoing clinical trials.
What this study cannot tell us
As a narrative review, this does not systematically assess evidence quality across all conditions. The breadth of coverage means individual conditions receive limited depth. Evidence strength varies dramatically across conditions, from approved medications to early preclinical work. Published in 2018, so recent clinical trial results are not included.
How to read the evidence
Published in the high-impact journal Drugs, this comprehensive review synthesizes strong evidence for approved uses alongside preliminary evidence for emerging applications.
When this study was published
Published in 2018. Several new cannabinoid clinical trials have reported results since publication, and regulatory landscapes have shifted.
The bigger picture
The endocannabinoid system is one of the most widespread receptor systems in the body, which explains why cannabinoids have potential therapeutic applications across such a wide range of conditions. The challenge is moving from preclinical promise to clinical proof for each specific application.
Questions still open
- Which emerging applications are most likely to result in approved medications? How do different cannabinoid profiles (THC-dominant, CBD-dominant, balanced) compare across conditions? What is the optimal delivery method for each therapeutic application?
Common questions
What cannabinoid medications are actually approved?
What conditions are cannabinoids being studied for?
Read the original research
Medical Use of Cannabinoids.
Drugs, 78(16), 1665-1703
Citation
Fraguas-Sánchez, Ana Isabel; Torres-Suárez, Ana Isabel. (2018). Medical Use of Cannabinoids.. Drugs, 78(16), 1665-1703. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40265-018-0996-1
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