Low-THC Medicinal Cannabis Did Not Work as a Substitute for Street Cannabis in Psychosis Patients
A case series of seven inpatients with psychosis and treatment-resistant cannabis use disorder found that substituting street cannabis with a low-THC, high-CBD medicinal variant (Bedrolite) was not effective.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
The low-THC medicinal cannabis variant Bedrolite was not effective in treating inpatients with psychotic disorders and comorbid cannabis use disorder. The harm reduction strategy of replacing high-THC street cannabis with low-THC medicinal cannabis did not achieve its goals.
Key Numbers
Seven inpatients studied. Bedrolite contains relatively low THC and relatively high CBD compared to typical street cannabis.
How They Did This
Case series of seven inpatients diagnosed with a psychotic disorder and treatment-resistant cannabis use disorder who received Bedrolite (low THC, relatively high CBD) as substitution therapy.
Why This Research Matters
With no proven treatments for cannabis use disorder in psychosis patients, harm reduction through cannabis substitution was a creative approach. Its failure here suggests that patients may be seeking the THC effects specifically, not just the cannabis experience.
The Bigger Picture
This negative result is informative: it suggests that simply reducing THC content is not sufficient to address cannabis use disorder in psychosis. Other approaches like behavioral interventions or pharmacotherapy may be needed.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Very small case series (n=7). Inpatient setting may not reflect real-world use. Only one medicinal cannabis product tested. No control group for comparison.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would a product with moderate THC and high CBD work better?
- ?Are patients primarily seeking THC's psychoactive effects?
- ?Could gradual THC tapering through different cannabis strains be more effective?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Zero of seven inpatients successfully transitioned from street cannabis to low-THC medicinal cannabis as a harm reduction strategy.
- Evidence Grade:
- Preliminary - small case series (n=7) with no control group, but informative as a negative result.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2018.
- Original Title:
- Medicinal cannabis (Bedrolite) substitution therapy in inpatients with a psychotic disorder and a comorbid cannabis use disorder: A case series.
- Published In:
- Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 32(3), 353-356 (2018)
- Authors:
- Schipper, Regi, Dekker, Mathilde, de Haan, Lieuwe(19), van den Brink, Wim
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01827
Evidence Hierarchy
Describes what happened to one person or a small group.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can low-THC cannabis replace regular cannabis for people with psychosis?
This case series suggests not. Seven psychosis inpatients did not successfully switch from street cannabis to a low-THC, high-CBD medicinal product (Bedrolite), indicating patients may be seeking THC's specific effects.
What is Bedrolite?
Bedrolite is a standardized medicinal cannabis variety with relatively low THC and relatively high CBD. It was tested as a potential harm reduction substitute for high-THC street cannabis in psychosis patients.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01827APA
Schipper, Regi; Dekker, Mathilde; de Haan, Lieuwe; van den Brink, Wim. (2018). Medicinal cannabis (Bedrolite) substitution therapy in inpatients with a psychotic disorder and a comorbid cannabis use disorder: A case series.. Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, England), 32(3), 353-356. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881117735684
MLA
Schipper, Regi, et al. "Medicinal cannabis (Bedrolite) substitution therapy in inpatients with a psychotic disorder and a comorbid cannabis use disorder: A case series.." Journal of psychopharmacology (Oxford, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269881117735684
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Medicinal cannabis (Bedrolite) substitution therapy in inpat..." RTHC-01827. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/schipper-2018-medicinal-cannabis-bedrolite-substitution
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.