Review of cannabinoid potential for treating neurological diseases | Research

The takeaway

Cannabinoids showed therapeutic potential for multiple neurological conditions in experimental and clinical studies, though psychotropic side effects remained the main barrier to wider clinical use.

Read this if you want a broad overview of cannabinoid potential across neurological diseases.

Four established clinical uses with emerging evidence for neurodegenerative diseases

What the researchers found

This review evaluated the state of cannabinoid research for neurological diseases. Established clinical uses at the time included glaucoma treatment, chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting, appetite stimulation in HIV-related wasting, and MS symptom management.

Research efforts were increasingly focused on targeting cannabinoid receptor activity in the central nervous system for neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, ALS), as well as psychiatric and non-psychiatric neurological conditions. The review emphasized that overcoming psychotropic side effects remained the central challenge for expanding clinical use of cannabinoids.

CBD, which lacks psychotropic effects, was highlighted as having particular promise due to its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties without the psychoactive limitations of THC.

Why it matters

This review captured a moment when cannabinoid neurology was transitioning from established uses (nausea, appetite, spasticity) toward potential applications in neurodegenerative diseases, reflecting growing understanding of the endocannabinoid system's role in brain health.

The numbers in context

Four established clinical indications were reviewed: glaucoma, chemotherapy nausea, HIV-related wasting, and MS spasticity. Multiple neurodegenerative conditions were under experimental investigation.

How the study worked

Review of published experimental and clinical studies on cannabinoid use in neurological diseases, including both preclinical animal models and available human data.

What this study cannot tell us

Much of the neurodegeneration evidence was preclinical. Clinical trials for most neurological conditions were small or absent. The challenge of separating therapeutic from psychotropic effects had not been fully solved for THC-based approaches.

How to read the evidence

Broad review mixing established clinical evidence with preclinical findings for emerging applications.

When this study was published

Published in 2014. CBD has since been approved for epilepsy, and research in neurodegeneration continues.

The bigger picture

The traditional reputation of cannabis as a recreational drug obscures centuries of medicinal use. This review traced the progression from ancient therapeutic applications through modern efforts to isolate specific cannabinoid actions for targeted neurological treatments.

Questions still open

Have any cannabinoid treatments for neurodegenerative diseases reached clinical trials since 2014? Can peripherally restricted cannabinoids provide neuroprotection without psychotropic effects? Is CBD's neuroprotective potential being realized in clinical practice?

Common questions

What neurological conditions might cannabinoids help with?

Established uses included MS spasticity, chemotherapy nausea, glaucoma, and appetite stimulation. Experimental evidence existed for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Huntington's, and ALS, though clinical trials were lacking for most neurodegenerative applications.

Why aren't cannabinoids more widely used in neurology?

The main barrier was psychotropic side effects from THC. CBD, which lacks these effects, was highlighted as having particular promise for neurological applications due to its neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties.

Read the original research

Cannabinoids: new promising agents in the treatment of neurological diseases.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 19(11), 18781-816

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Giacoppo, Sabrina; Mandolino, Giuseppe; Galuppo, Maria; Bramanti, Placido; Mazzon, Emanuela. (2014). Cannabinoids: new promising agents in the treatment of neurological diseases.. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 19(11), 18781-816. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules191118781