State medical marijuana programs must follow the science

Key Points:

• A new systematic review published in Lancet Psychiatry analyzed 54 randomized controlled trials over 45 years and found no significant evidence that marijuana effectively treats mental health conditions including PTSD, anxiety, and depression.
• Additional recent reviews, including a Cochrane review on THC for chronic pain and a JAMA review on cannabis for acute pain and insomnia, similarly found insufficient evidence supporting marijuana’s medical efficacy.
• Numerous studies indicate marijuana use, especially cannabis use disorder, is linked to increased risks of psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia, with some findings showing dramatically higher incidence rates among users.
• The article argues that marijuana’s normalization over the past decades has contributed to public health problems rather than benefits, and calls for states with medical marijuana programs to reconsider their policies based on current scientific evidence.
• Kevin A. Sabet, CEO of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, emphasizes the need to prioritize science-based drug policy to prevent harm and protect individuals suffering from mental health conditions from pursuing ineffective marijuana treatments.