An analysis of 3,000 posts on a Reddit forum on cannabis chemical cannabidiol (CBD) found that 90 per cent of posters claimed they were using CBD to treat a medical issue. The most common use was for mental health issues, including autism and depression, followed by musculoskeletal problems, sleep, and neurological problems. Posters also reported using CBD to treat gut problems, addiction, heart problems, skin problems, eye problems, and even sexual health issues. The authors say there are proven treatments for many of these conditions, while there is no evidence that CBD can help. They suggest regulating therapeutic claims about CBD, and redirecting patients to proven therapies.
Journal/conference: JAMA Network Open
Link to research (DOI): 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.20977
Organisation/s: University of California, San Diego, USA
Examining CBD Use for Conditions With Proven Therapies
What The Study Did: Testimonials posted on a social media site were analyzed to examine whether individuals are using the cannabis-derived chemical compound cannabidiol (CBD) in an attempt to treat diagnosable conditions that have evidence-based therapies.
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