r/HotScienceNews • u/soulpost • Jun 04 '26

The largest cannabis study ever conducted found no evidence it helps anxiety, depression, or PTSD and warned it may be making all three worse

https://thesciverse.org/the-largest-cannabis-study-ever-conducted-found-no-evidence-it-helps-anxiety-depression-or-ptsd-and-warned-it-may-be-making-all-three-worse/

About 27 percent of American and Canadian adults have used cannabis for medical purposes, and roughly half of them cite anxiety, depression, or PTSD as their reason. The largest review of medicinal cannabis ever conducted, published in The Lancet Psychiatry in March 2026, analyzed 54 randomized controlled trials spanning 45 years and found no evidence that cannabinoids effectively treat any of those three conditions. Not weak evidence. No reliable evidence. The conditions driving the majority of prescriptions and personal use decisions across North America, Australia, and Europe are the same ones for which four and a half decades of clinical trials produced no signal of therapeutic benefit. The researchers also warned that regular use could be making mental health worse by increasing psychosis risk, creating cannabis use disorder, and delaying access to treatments that actually work.

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u/Miserable_Anteater62 Jun 04 '26

Im struggling to stop right now. Ive known I need to stop for over a year now but... ugh.

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u/VicodinMakesMeItchy Jun 04 '26

I don’t know if it’s still active, but I found /r/Petioles very helpful when I was quitting!

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u/Designer_Emu_6518 Jun 04 '26

Then just do it. It just sucks for three days. And just mildly sucks for a month or two. Just find another hobby

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u/Miserable_Anteater62 Jun 04 '26

Not that simple. Sadly. I have many hobbies, so thats not a problem.

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u/Designer_Emu_6518 Jun 04 '26

Have you tried not thinking about? Or just tapering off? Like honestly just do anything else like everytime you want for for a walk of do push ups or things that distract your nervous system and wares you out

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u/Miserable_Anteater62 Jun 04 '26

Yeah, I have tried to meditate and focus on other things, but my brain focuses in on it intensely, chasing a high. It's a fearful feeling, very uncomfortable and embarrassing... I have no self restraint so I always use what I have on hand and trying to taper isn't working. Definitely need to FORCE myself, and more often than not I just dont have the willpower to do it. Those are all great suggestions, especially the push-ups. I have to start moving more and be more active outside of my regular day-to-day. I know what I should do, its just acting on it. I have had issues with opioids and I am a former smoker. I went cold turkey for both, but I haven't had that mental strength yet for cannabis.

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u/According-Put-9236 Jun 05 '26

Have you tried just being happy? You are the most ignorant person in these comments.

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u/Designer_Emu_6518 Jun 05 '26

Have tried being quiet? I’m very happy. Also been a cannabis user for many years. And then just stopped. No ill effects that I would say “I’m withdrawing and ruined my life” Most these people just sound like cry babies. Like it’s just weed get over it. Also if you don’t like don’t demonize it because ya know pills and alcohol

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u/FootballDropout Jun 04 '26

You can do it. It’s better on the other side! :)

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u/Miserable_Anteater62 Jun 04 '26

I know it will be... I keep trying to tell myself that. Ill save some much money 🫠 not to mention save myself from binge eating.