Table 2.
Systematic application of Cannabis-derived phytochemicals against clinically focused psychiatric disorders.
| Applied drug and/or phytochemical | Neurological ailment or psychiatric disorder | Experiment type and duration | Experimental design | Result | Remark | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nabiximols [THC (2.7 mg), CBD (2.5 mg)] and placebo | Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) | Randomized trial; 6 weeks | 30 patients were randomly treated with drug or placebo; cognitive performance, the appearance of ADHD symptoms and emotional stability were evaluated |
Quantitative behavioral test results were better for the drug-treated group | ADHD-related symptoms improved significantly | Cooper et al., 2017 |
| CBD (400 mg) | Social anxiety disorder (SAD) | Double-blind crossover study | Ten patients received CBD or placebo and their regional cerebral blood flow activity was analyzed. | CBD treatment modulated blood flow in the hippocampus, inferior temporal gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus, and right posterior cingulate gyrus | CBD showed anxiolytic effects | Crippa et al., 2011 |
| CBD (600 mg) | Social phobia | A biopsychosocial model of social anxiety was applied; 1.5 h before public speaking | 24 patients randomly received CBD or placebo; Twelve healthy controls and other physiological measures were observed 6 times during the study |
Prior treatment with CBD reduced anxiety, hyperalertness, and cognitive speech impairment and performance discomfort | The visual analog mood scale and negative self-statement scale were used to study the effect of CBD | Bergamaschi et al., 2011 |
| CBD (600–800 mg) or amisulpride | Schizophrenia | Randomized trial; 4 weeks | 42 patients were randomly treated with drug or CBD; positive and negative syndromes were checked after every 2 weeks, psychiatric behavior was analysed | Both the drug and phytochemical treated groups showed recovery | The CBD treated group showed some side effects | Leweke et al., 2012 |
| CBD (1000 mg) and placebo [existing antipsychotic drug] | Schizophrenia | Randomized trial; 6 weeks | 88 patients were treated with phytochemical or continuing antipsychotic drug; behavioral pattern, positive and negative set of symptoms, and cognition level were observed | The CBD-treated group showed faster recovery, fewer symptoms, and illness | CBD-treated group showed improved cognitive function and motor activity compared to placebo | McGuire et al., 2018 |
| CBD (600 mg) and placebo (antipsychotic Medication) | Schizophrenia | Randomized trial; 6 weeks | 36 patients with schizophrenics received CBD or placebo; positive and negative set of symptoms were checked | Both groups showed signs of recovery and less symptoms | The CBD treated group showed some side effects | Boggs et al., 2018 |
| CBD(600–1200 mg) | Bipolar disorder | 30 day trial | 2 patients were treated with CBD, received placebo for 5 days; mania and psychiatric symptoms were checked every 7 days | Improvements were greater in the case of CBD + olanzapine treatment; CBD monotherapy did not show significant development with symptoms |
No side effects with CBD were reported | Zuardi et al., 1995 |
| Nabiximols: THC (2.7 mg) + CBD (2.5 mg) | Chronic depression | Randomized, placebo-controlled, graded-dose trial; 5 weeks | 263 patients with advanced cancer stage received placebo and drug in low, medium, and high dosage; drug tolerability, opioid-refractory pain reversal, sleep quality, and quality of life were evaluated |
All groups reported significant pain relief | The high dose (11–16 sprays) group reported a mood swing | Portenoy et al., 2012 |
| CBD capsules (25 mg) + liquid (6–25 mg) |
Insomnia | 5-month trial with the single patient (age 10 years; childhood trauma history) | The patient received fish oil (750 mg/day) and CBD oil capsule/day; for 1 month, the patient also received CBD liquid (12–24 mg) and later used it. 6–12 mg of CBD when needed; Sleep Disturbance Scale for children applied to monitor sleep patterns |
Sleep quality and quantity improved significantly | No cognitive characteristics or other effects on mental health were measured. | Shannon and Opila-Lehman, 2016 |
| CBD capsules (mainly 25 mg/day) |
Insomnia | Large retrospective case series-based study; 12 weeks | 72 patients received CBD in addition to their current medication | Hamilton anxiety rating scale showed improvement in sleep quality, decreased anxiety pattern | Data were not statistically significant for an experimental group | Shannon et al., 2019 |
| Nabiximols: [THC (2.7 mg) + CBD (2.5 mg) or only THC (2.7 mg)] | Insomnia | Large retrospective case series-based study; 5 weeks | 43 patients with advanced cancer stage received both types of drug combination; drug tolerability, opioid-refractory pain reversal, and quality of life were evaluated. | Pain, insomnia, and fatigue decreased over time | Johnson et al., 2013 | |
| Cannabis sample | Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | Clinician administered a posttraumatic scale or CAPS data analysis | Retrospectively, collected data of 80 patients suffering from PTSD and analyzed | More than 75% decrease in posttraumatic syndrome was reported in patients reported; less anxiety and better sleep were also marked by patients | The form of administration dosage and application procedure are not defined | Greer et al., 2014 |
| CBD (capsule or spray; 8–49 mg/week) | PTSD | Open-label retrospective case study; 8 weeks | Data from 11 patients with PTSD were collected and analyzed | Significant reduction in symptoms is noted | Data were not statistically significant | Elms et al., 2019 |
| Nabiximols [THC (2.7 mg), CBD (2.5 mg)] and placebo |
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) | Randomized trial; 6 weeks | 30 patients were randomly treated with drugs or placebo; cognitive performance, the occurrence of symptoms of ADHD, and emotional stability were assessed | Quantitative behavioral test results were better for the rug-treated group | ADHD-related symptoms were improved significantly | Cooper et al., 2017 |
| CBD (400 mg) | Social anxiety disorder (SAD) | Double-blind crossover study | Ten patients received CBD or placebo and their regional cerebral blood flow activity was analyzed |
CBD treatment modulated blood flow in the hippocampus, inferior temporal gyrus, left parahippocampal gyrus, and right posterior cingulate gyrus | CBD showed anxiolytic effects | Crippa et al., 2011 |
| CBD (600 mg) | Social phobia | A biopsychosocial model of social anxiety was applied; 1.5 h before public speaking | 24 patients randomly received CBD or placebo; Twelve healthy controls and other physiological measures were observed 6 times during the study |
Prior treatment with CBD reduced anxiety, hyperalertness, cognitive speech impairment and performance discomfort | The visual analog mood scale and negative self-statement scale were used to study the effect of CBD | Bergamaschi et al., 2011 |
| CBD (600–800 mg) or amisulpride | Schizophrenia | Randomized trial; 4 weeks | 42 patients were randomly treated with drugs or CBD; positive and negative syndromes were checked after every 2 weeks, psychiatric behavior was analyzed | Both the drug and phytochemical treated groups showed recovery | CBD treated group showed some side effects | Leweke et al., 2012 |
| CBD (1000 mg) and placebo [existing antipsychotic drug] | Schizophrenia | Randomized trial; 6 weeks | 88 patients were treated with phytochemical or continuing antipsychotic drug; behavioral pattern, positive and negative set of symptoms, and cognition level were observed. | CBD treated group showed faster recovery, fewer symptoms and illness | CBD-treated group showed improved cognitive function and motor activity compared to placebo | McGuire et al., 2018 |
| CBD (600 mg) and placebo (antipsychotic Medication) | Schizophrenia | Randomized trial; 6 weeks | 36 patients with schizophrenics received CBD or placebo; positive and negative set of symptoms were checked | Both groups showed signs of recovery and less symptoms | CBD treated group showed some side effects | Boggs et al., 2018 |
| CBD (600–1200 mg) | Bipolar disorder | 30 day trial | 2 patients were treated with CBD, received placebo for 5 days; mania and psychiatric symptoms were checked every 7 days |
Improvements were higher in the case of CBD + olanzapine treatment; CBD monotherapy did not show significant development with symptoms | No side effects with CBD were reported | Zuardi et al., 1995 |
| Nabiximols: THC (2.7 mg) + CBD (2.5 mg) |
Chronic depression | Randomized, placebo-controlled, graded-dose trial; 5 weeks | 263 patients with advanced cancer stage received placebo and drug in low, medium, and high dosage; drug tolerability, opioid-refractory pain reversal, sleep quality, and quality of life were assessed | All groups reported significant pain relief | The high dose (11–16 sprays) group reported a mood swing | Portenoy et al., 2012 |
| CBD capsules (25 mg) + liquid (6–25 mg) |
Insomnia | 5-month trial with a single patient (age 10 years; childhood trauma history) | The patient received fish oil (750 mg/day) and a capsule of CBD oil capsule/day; for 1 month, the patient also received CBD liquid (12–24 mg) and then used 6–12 mg of CBD when needed; Sleep disturbance scale for children applied to monitor the sleep pattern | Sleep quality and quantity improved significantly | No cognitive characteristics or other effects on mental health were measured | Shannon and Opila-Lehman, 2016 |
| CBD capsules (mainly 25 mg/day) |
Insomnia | Large retrospective case series-based study; 12 weeks | 72 patients received CBD in addition to their current medication | Hamilton anxiety rating scale showed improvement in sleep quality, decreased anxiety pattern | Data were not statistically significant for one experimental group | Shannon et al., 2019 |
| Nabiximols: [THC (2.7 mg) + CBD (2.5 mg) or only THC (2.7 mg)] | Insomnia | Large retrospective case series-based study; 5 weeks | 43 patients with advanced cancer stage received both types of drug combination; drug tolerability, opioid-refractory pain reversal, and quality of life were evaluated. | Pain, insomnia, and fatigue decreased over time | Johnson et al., 2013 | |
| Cannabis sample | Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) | Clinician administered a posttraumatic scale or CAPS data analysis | Retrospectively, collected data of 80 patients suffering from PTSD and analyzed | More than 75% decrease in posttraumatic syndrome was reported in patients reported; less anxiety and better sleep were also marked by patients | The form of administration dosage and application procedure are not defined | Greer et al., 2014 |
| CBD (capsule or spray; 8–49 mg/week) | PTSD | Open-label retrospective case study; 8 weeks | Data from 11 patients with PTSD were collected and analyzed | Significant reduction in symptoms is noted | Data were not statistically significant | Elms et al., 2019 |