Short-term cannabis products may reduce a marker of bone breakdown in healthy adults | Research

The takeaway

In two Phase 1 trials of 83 healthy adults, one week of oral THC- or CBD-dominant cannabis products reduced a marker of bone resorption compared to placebo, providing the first human evidence that cannabinoids may affect bone turnover.

Endocrinologists, osteoporosis researchers, and medical cannabis scientists

First human data on cannabinoid effects on bone markers

What the researchers found

After 7 days of treatment, the bone resorption marker CTx was significantly lower in the THC-dominant product group (Spectrum Red) versus placebo (b = -164.28, p = 0.04) and marginally lower in the CBD-dominant group (Spectrum Yellow, p = 0.06). No significant differences were found for bone formation markers (P1NP, ALP).

Why it matters

These are the first interventional human data on cannabinoid effects on bone turnover. The reduction in bone resorption without affecting bone formation is a pattern consistent with bone-protective properties.

The numbers in context

83 participants (38 men, 45 women); 7 days of treatment; CTx (bone resorption) significantly reduced by Spectrum Red (p = 0.04); marginally reduced by Spectrum Yellow (p = 0.06); no changes in P1NP or ALP (bone formation markers); all bone markers higher in men at baseline

How the study worked

Secondary analysis of two Phase 1 double-blind, placebo-controlled trials. 83 healthy participants (38 men, 45 women) were randomized to receive 5-20 mg THC daily (with varying CBD levels) or placebo for 7 days. Bone markers were assessed at baseline, day 8, and after 5-day washout.

What this study cannot tell us

Very short treatment duration (7 days); healthy participants not bone-disease patients; small sample; secondary analysis not primary endpoint; changes not considered clinically significant; cannot determine which cannabinoid (THC or CBD) drove effects

How to read the evidence

Randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 1 data, but very short duration, healthy participants, and secondary analysis.

When this study was published

2024 study

The bigger picture

If cannabinoids reduce bone breakdown, they could have therapeutic potential for osteoporosis and other bone conditions. This preliminary human evidence supports further research in populations with bone disease.

Questions still open

Would longer treatment produce clinically meaningful bone effects? Would people with osteoporosis show a greater response? Is the effect driven by THC, CBD, or their combination?

Common questions

Could cannabis help protect bones?

This study provides the first human evidence suggesting it might. After just one week, participants taking cannabis products showed reduced levels of a marker that indicates bone breakdown. However, the changes were small and not considered clinically significant, and the study was done in healthy people, not those with bone disease.

Which cannabis product showed the effect?

The THC-dominant product (Spectrum Red, 2.5 mg THC/0.3 mg CBD per softgel) showed a statistically significant reduction in the bone resorption marker. The CBD-dominant product (Spectrum Yellow, 20 mg CBD/0.9 mg THC per mL) showed a similar trend that fell just short of significance.

Read the original research

Serum Markers of Bone Turnover Following Controlled Administration of Two Medical Cannabis Products in Healthy Adults.

Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 9(1), 300-309

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Kulpa, Justyna; Eglit, Graham; Hill, Melanie L; MacNair, Laura; Yardley, Helena; Ware, Mark A; Bonn-Miller, Marcel O; Peters, Erica N. (2024). Serum Markers of Bone Turnover Following Controlled Administration of Two Medical Cannabis Products in Healthy Adults.. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 9(1), 300-309. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2022.0181