Cannabis offers instant relief from symptoms of depression and other mental health problems

By Javier Hasse

Originally published in 2020.

According to a research study published by the University of New Mexico and the Releaf App in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, cannabis flowers can provide immediate relief from symptoms of depression – a condition that affects about 1 in 5 adults in the United States and often leads to other diseases such as cancer, substance use disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, dementia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic pain.

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“The results suggest that the vast majority of patients who use cannabis experience antidepressant effects, at least in the short term, although the extent of the effect and the extent of side effects vary with the chemotypic properties of the plant,” the paper said.

Research

The study, titled “The Effectiveness of Cannabis Flowers for Immediate Relief from Symptoms of Depression,” was sponsored by the founders of the University of New Mexico’s Marijuana Research Fund, Jacob Vigil, Psychology Associate Professor at UNM, and Sarah See Stith, Economics Assistant Professor. headed at UNM.

After reviewing 5,876 results anonymously reported by 1,819 people who tracked their cannabis use for the treatment of depression through the Releaf app, the researchers concluded that the patients, on average, experienced an improvement in symptoms of almost 4 points on a scale from 0 to 10 moments later, reported consumption of whole, dried, natural cannabis flowers – widely known as cannabis buds.

For comparison, the reader should know that conventional drugs used to treat symptoms of depression (such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors) typically take several weeks or even months. begin to provide significant relief. Additionally, the study finds that the potential side effects of these traditional drug products include sedation, arousal, anxiety, anorgasmia, demotivation, and thoughts of suicide.

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“One of the more interesting findings from this study is that cannabis flowers with relatively high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol or THC are particularly associated with an immediate reduction in the intensity of feelings of depression,” said Jacob Miguel Vigil. “The differences in duration of effects and the relative prevalence of side effects between products and users could be due to other antidepressant and synergistic compounds in the plant beyond THC or cannabidiol (CBD), including minor cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids.”

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more details

According to the study, most of the patients who used natural cannabis flower products to treat their symptoms of depression reported antidepressant effects. However, the extent of these effects and the extent of side effects experienced varied depending on the characteristics of the individual plants.

Investigators also found that up to one in five people who consumed high-THC cannabis flowers experienced some negative side effects, such as: B. feeling unmotivated. Even so, the report adds that people in the study were three times as likely to experience positive effects such as happiness, optimism, rest, and relaxation.

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“In recent years it has become apparent that people using the Releaf App are tracking their mental health symptoms more closely to better understand how cannabis can provide relief,” said Keenan Keeling, CEO of MoreBetter, the company behind the Releaf App . “Historically, we’ve seen cannabis efficacy studies related to chronic physical ailments such as pain, cancer, and epilepsy. It is becoming increasingly important and relevant to better understand how cannabis affects mental disorders such as depression. “

“With the local depression epidemic never ending, and given the limitations and potential serious negative side effects of traditional antidepressants, there is a real need for people to be able to treat mood disorders with natural, safe and effective drugs, and cannabis ticks all three boxes,” concluded Vigil.

This article appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.