A literature review found no solid evidence to recommend cannabis for PTSD treatment, yet analysis of Polish medical marijuana clinic websites revealed aggressive marketing of cannabis as a PTSD therapy, highlighting a gap between evidence and commercial claims.
Clinicians treating PTSD, patients considering cannabis for PTSD, and policymakers overseeing medical cannabis marketing.
No sufficient solid evidence to recommend cannabis for PTSD
What the researchers found
The literature review concluded there is currently no sufficient solid evidence to recommend medical marijuana or cannabinoids to treat PTSD. However, people with PTSD use cannabis for its anxiolytic, sedative, hypnotic, and antipsychotic effects. Polish clinic websites were found to market cannabis as a PTSD treatment despite the weak evidence base.
Why it matters
The disconnect between evidence and marketing is a public health concern. PTSD incidence in Poland has increased significantly, creating a vulnerable population that may be targeted by clinics overpromising on cannabis benefits.
The numbers in context
PTSD incidence rising in Poland. No RCTs with sufficient evidence to recommend cannabis for PTSD. Polish clinics actively marketing cannabis as PTSD alternative therapy.
How the study worked
Two-part study: systematic literature review of cannabis/cannabinoid efficacy and safety for PTSD, plus content analysis of websites from Polish clinics specializing in medical marijuana treatment.
What this study cannot tell us
Website analysis reflects a single country (Poland). The literature review may not capture the most recent trials. Patient outcomes from Polish clinics were not directly measured.
How to read the evidence
Combines literature review with novel website content analysis, providing a useful evidence-practice gap assessment.
When this study was published
2025 review with current literature and real-time clinic website analysis.
The bigger picture
This study captures a global pattern: medical cannabis clinics market aggressively while evidence lags behind. The gap between patient desperation and commercial incentives deserves scrutiny, especially for conditions like PTSD where conventional treatments also have limitations.
Questions still open
- Will ongoing RCTs provide stronger evidence for cannabis in PTSD?
- Should medical cannabis marketing be regulated more strictly for psychiatric conditions?
Common questions
Does cannabis help with PTSD?
Are medical cannabis clinics accurately representing the evidence?
Read the original research
Cannabis and cannabinoids in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: A literature review and analysis of the content of websites of Polish clinics specializing in medical marijuana treatment.
Psychiatria polska, 59(4), 577-596
Citation
Kurowska, Patrycja; Wojtyła, Cezary; Królak, Anna; Ostrowski, Janusz; Giermaziak, Wojciech. (2025). Cannabis and cannabinoids in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder: A literature review and analysis of the content of websites of Polish clinics specializing in medical marijuana treatment.. Psychiatria polska, 59(4), 577-596. https://doi.org/10.12740/PP/192416
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