Cannabis Oil Showed Promise for Appetite in Systemic Sclerosis Patients

In a randomized placebo-controlled trial of 27 systemic sclerosis patients with anorexia or malnutrition, cannabis oil (two drops sublingual twice daily) showed trends toward greater improvements in appetite, body weight, calorie intake, and quality of life compared to placebo. Hunger VAS scores increased significantly in the treatment group (p < 0.001) but not in placebo.

Randomized placebo-controlled trial with 27 SSc patients (13 per group completing the study). Participants received either cannabis oil or placebo sublingually twice daily. Endpoints included appetite VAS, body weight, daily calorie intake, inflammatory markers, and quality of life via EQ-5D. Registered as NCT05416697.

Systemic sclerosis is a rare autoimmune condition that causes wasting and appetite loss, with few effective treatments. This is one of the first RCTs testing cannabis oil specifically in this population, and the significant improvement in hunger scores suggests cannabinoids may help with appetite in autoimmune wasting disorders beyond the better-studied cancer and HIV contexts.

Cannabis has established appetite-stimulating properties in cancer and HIV, but this trial extends the research into autoimmune wasting conditions. The small sample size limited statistical power, but the consistent trend across multiple endpoints suggests larger studies could confirm a meaningful benefit.

Very small sample size (N=27) limited statistical power. Most endpoints showed trends but did not reach significance. Single-center study. One serious adverse event (hyponatremia) occurred in the treatment group.