A New Research States That Cannabis Can Help Patients with OCD Symptoms

A study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders showed a decrease in symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) after consuming inhaled cannabis. The researchers analyzed data from 87 people who identified with OCD and tracked their compulsions, intrusions, and/or anxiety immediately before and after 1,810 cannabis sessions over a period of 31 months.

Researchers at Washington State University found that patients report a 60 percent reduction in compulsions, a 49 percent reduction in intrusions, and a 52 percent reduction in anxiety from before and after using cannabis. The researchers note that there was no placebo group.

In a statement, NORML deputy director Paul Armentano said there have been several studies evaluating “the potential efficacy of cannabis in alleviating OCD symptoms.”

“Thus, these results, although somewhat limited by study design, indicate that cannabis – and in particular the high CBD varieties – are promising as a therapeutic option for OCD patients and should be further investigated in more carefully designed controlled settings,” he said.

The study, published in May in the journal Depression and Anxiety – the world’s first placebo-controlled study of cannabis use in adults with OCD – involved 12 participants and concluded that although OCD symptoms and anxiety, of which patients themselves reported were reduced by cannabis use, ultimately “Has a small acute effect on OCD symptoms and produces less anxiety reduction compared to placebo.”