Medical Cannabis for mood related conditions

Mood-related symptoms can have a significant impact on everyday life, affecting emotional wellbeing, relationships, work, sleep and overall quality of life. Symptoms such as anxiety, persistent low mood and emotional distress may occur alongside a range of diagnosed health conditions and can sometimes be difficult to manage with conventional approaches alone. For eligible patients who have not experienced adequate relief from traditional treatments, medical cannabis may be considered as part of an individualised treatment plan.

What are Mood-Related Symptoms?

Mood-related symptoms describe changes in a person’s emotional state and wellbeing. These can include persistent low mood, anxiety, irritability, emotional distress or difficulties coping with everyday life.

Mood can be influenced by many factors, including physical health, neurological conditions, chronic pain, poor sleep, medication and stressful life circumstances. Symptoms can vary considerably between individuals, which is why identifying the underlying condition and understanding a patient’s medical history are important when considering treatment.

Common Mood-Related Symptoms Treated with Cannabis

Anxiety
Anxiety can involve persistent feelings of worry, fear or unease and may be accompanied by physical symptoms such as a racing heartbeat, restlessness, muscle tension and difficulty sleeping. Anxiety symptoms can occur independently or alongside other diagnosed medical conditions.
Low Mood
Low mood can involve feelings of sadness, reduced motivation, loss of enjoyment and changes in energy or sleep. Persistent low mood can have many different causes and should be properly assessed by a healthcare professional.
Mood Symptoms Associated with Chronic Conditions
Living with chronic pain, neurological conditions and other long-term health problems can affect emotional wellbeing. Ongoing symptoms, reduced mobility, fatigue and disruption to everyday activities can all contribute to changes in mood and quality of life.

Traditional Treatment Methods for Mood-Related Symptoms

Treatment will depend on the cause and severity of your symptoms and any underlying diagnosis. Your GP or specialist may recommend:

Talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Medication where clinically appropriate
Regular physical activity and exercise
Improving sleep and establishing a regular sleep routine
Stress-management and relaxation techniques
Lifestyle and social support

Treatment is individual, and some patients may require a combination of approaches to manage their symptoms effectively.

How Medical Cannabis May Help with Mood-Related Symptoms

Cannabis contains compounds known as cannabinoids, including THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). These compounds interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), a signalling system involved in a number of physiological processes.

Medical cannabis affects people differently. Some patients may experience improvements in particular symptoms or aspects of their overall wellbeing, while others may experience little benefit or unwanted effects.

THC and CBD also have different effects. THC is intoxicating and can affect perception and mood, while CBD does not produce the characteristic ‘high’ associated with THC. The balance of cannabinoids prescribed will depend on the individual patient, their symptoms, medical history, previous treatments and potential risks.

Efficacy of Cannabis in Managing Mood-Related Symptoms

Research into cannabinoids and mood-related symptoms is continuing, and the evidence varies considerably depending on the condition, cannabinoid and formulation being studied.

Medical cannabis may help some patients manage certain mood-related symptoms, particularly when these occur alongside an eligible diagnosed condition. However, it is not suitable for everyone, and cannabis can sometimes worsen anxiety or other psychological symptoms.

A specialist doctor will therefore consider your diagnosis, symptoms, medical and mental health history, current medications and previous treatments before deciding whether medical cannabis may be an appropriate option.

What Type of Cannabis Treatment is Best for Mood?

There is no single cannabis treatment that is appropriate for every patient experiencing mood-related symptoms. If medical cannabis is considered suitable, treatment is tailored to your individual circumstances, symptoms and clinical history.

Depending on your specialist assessment, a prescription may contain CBD, THC or a combination of cannabinoids. Medical cannabis is available in different prescribed formulations, including cannabis oil and dried flower for vaporisation.

During your initial consultation, a specialist doctor will review your medical history, previous treatments and current symptoms and discuss whether medical cannabis is appropriate for you and, if so, which treatment approach may be considered.

Patient Testimonials

"Life changing! I have been suffering from anxiety since before covid, crippling anxiety, this year I knew I had to try new therapy, I found the upfront fees off putting with alternatives to Medicann. I woud recommend them to everyone!"

Robert Dibble, TrustPilot

Individual experiences with medical cannabis vary, and a patient testimonial should not be taken as an indication that another patient will experience the same results.

Combining Other Treatment Options with Cannabis

Where medical cannabis is prescribed, it may form one part of a broader treatment plan rather than replacing other appropriate treatments.

Depending on the underlying condition, this may include talking therapies, prescribed medication, physical activity, improving sleep, stress-management techniques and other lifestyle measures.

Your treatment plan should be discussed with your healthcare professionals, particularly before making changes to existing medication or therapies.

Clinical research into medical cannabis and mood related conditions.

Research into medical cannabis for mood and related conditions is growing, with evidence coming from both clinical studies and real-world patient experience. Research has reported improvements in symptoms for some patients, helping us better understand where medical cannabis may have a role in supporting the management of mood-related conditions.

Here is just some of the growing body of clinical research and real-world evidence exploring medical cannabis for mood related conditions, and the outcomes patients have experienced.

Research study: Cannabis and symptoms of PMS and PMDD

A survey of women with PMS or PMDD explored cannabis use for mood-related symptoms including irritability and depression, highlighting the potential for further research into its role in managing these symptoms.

Cannabis has been found to alleviate a wide array of medical symptoms, including those that overlap with physical and emotional symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), including insomnia, irritability, depression, and joint pain. Little work has addressed the use of cannabis as a treatment for PMS or PMDD or the role of women’s cannabis treatment expectancies as a predictor of consumption.

Women who reported having experienced PMS and PMDD and endorsed lifetime cannabis use ( N = 145), completed an online survey assessing their frequency of cannabis use, PMS/PMDD symptoms, expectancies of cannabis-induced relief from symptoms, as well as cannabis-related problems.

Women were found to hold meaningful expectancies that cannabis would treat all PMS/PMDD symptoms, except for overeating/food cravings. Cannabis treatment expectancies were positively associated with PMS/PMDD symptoms and with monthly cannabis use, and were negatively associated with cannabis-related problems. Research should further examine the relationship of cannabis treatment expectancies with individuals’ cannabis use, as findings indicate the potential for these expectancies to serve a punitive or protective role in the development of cannabis-related problems. Increased research on how cannabis might ameliorate symptoms of PMS and PMDD could help establish an alternative treatment plan that offers relief with fewer negative side effects.

Study by Melissa Slavin, Eliza Barach, Stacey Farmer, Rachel Luba, Mitch Earleywine

Read the full study on Taylor & Francis

Research study: Acute effects of cannabis on core and co-occurring features associated with autism spectrum disorder in adults

A real-world study of 111 autistic adults found that cannabis use was associated with temporary improvements in negative mood and other autism-related symptoms, with overall symptom ratings decreasing after use.

Pharmacological interventions that treat core and co-occurring features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are a persistent unmet need. As such, use of cannabis to manage ASD features is common in the autistic community. Yet, few studies have examined the acute effects of cannabis on symptoms associated with ASD. Therefore, we measured changes in symptom ratings from before to after cannabis use in a sample of 111 self-identified autistic adults. Anonymized archival data sourced from the Strainprint ® app were analyzed. A subset of tracked information that reflected changes in core and co-occurring symptoms associated with ASD (i.e., Sensory Sensitivity, Repetitive Behaviors, Mental Control, and Negative Affect) were used to assess the impacts of cannabis on symptom severity. Overall, symptom severity ratings were reduced by 73.09% from before to after cannabis use. More severe symptoms were associated with greater reductions in severity ratings after use. Higher doses predicted greater reductions in severity of Repetitive Behaviors, Mental Control, and Negative Affect but dose of cannabis used to manage all symptoms remained static across time. Results from this first empirical examination of the perceived acute effects of cannabis in autistic adults suggest that cannabis provides temporary relief from symptoms associated with ASD.

Study by Debra S Karhson, Emily M LaFrance, Carrie Cuttler

Read the full study obtained the National Library of Medicines website

Research study: Cannabinoid-related agents in the treatment of anxiety disorders: current knowledge and future perspectives

Research suggests that cannabinoids may have therapeutic potential for anxiety and fear-related symptoms, with their effects influenced by factors such as cannabinoid type, dose and individual response.

Rich evidence has shown that cannabis products exert a broad gamut of effects on emotional regulation. The main psychoactive ingredient of hemp, Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and its synthetic cannabinoid analogs have been reported to either attenuate or exacerbate anxiety and fear-related behaviors in humans and experimental animals. The heterogeneity of cannabis-induced psychological outcomes reflects a complex network of molecular interactions between the key neurobiological substrates of anxiety and fear and the endogenous cannabinoid system, mainly consisting of the arachidonic acid derivatives anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and two receptors, respectively termed CB 1 and CB 2 . The high degree of interindividual variability in the responses to cannabis is contributed by a wide spectrum of factors, including genetic and environmental determinants, as well as differences in the relative concentrations of THC and other alkaloids (such as cannabidiol) within the plant itself. The present article reviews the currently available knowledge on the herbal, synthetic and endogenous cannabinoids with respect to the modulation of anxiety responses, and highlights the challenges that should be overcome to harness the therapeutic potential of some of these compounds, all the while limiting the side effects associated with cannabis consumption.

Study by Simone Tambaro, Marco Bortolato

Read the full study on the National Library of Medicine website

Research study: The Impact of Δ9-THC on the Psychological Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study

A small study of women with chronic anorexia nervosa found that low-dose THC was associated with improvements in depression and other psychological symptoms, suggesting potential for supporting the psychological aspects of the condition.

Background: Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is the active compound of Cannabis sativa with appetitestimulating properties. This study evaluated the effect of low doses of oral Δ9-THC on self-reported symptoms of patients suffering from chronic anorexia nervosa (AN).

Methods: Nine female subjects over 18 years of age participated in the study. Six were diagnosed according to DSM-IV criteria with AN restrictive type and three with active AN binge-purge type. Their mean age was 45.0±3.2 years and their BMI was 16.1±1.6 kg/M2. They completed questionnaires before and after treatment with Δ9-THC (1 mg/day for one week and 2 mg/day for three weeks). The primary outcome was improvement in the way patients perceived their eating behavior. Results: Significant improvements were found in selfreported body care, sense of ineffectiveness, asceticism and depression. There were no significant changes in BMI.

Conclusions: Δ9-THC may be an effective component in treating the psychological symptoms of AN.

Study by Yosefa Avraham, Yael Latzer, Dalia Hasid, Elliot M Berry

Read the full study on ResearchGate

Research study: Dronabinol and marijuana in HIV+ marijuana smokers: acute effects on caloric intake and mood

A small study of HIV-positive adults found that both cannabis and dronabinol increased food intake and body weight, while higher-THC cannabis also improved sleep ratings.

Objectives:

Individuals with HIV constitute the largest group using cannabinoids for medicinal reasons; yet, no studies have directly compared the tolerability and efficacy of smoked marijuana and oral dronabinol maintenance in HIV-positive marijuana smokers. This placebo-controlled within-subjects study evaluated marijuana and dronabinol across a range of behaviors: eating topography, mood, cognitive performance, physiologic measures, and sleep.

Methods:

HIV-positive marijuana smokers (n = 10) completed 2 16-day inpatient phases. Each dronabinol (5 and 10 mg) and marijuana (2.0% and 3.9% Δ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]) dose was administered 4 times daily for 4 days, but only 1 drug was active per day, thereby maintaining double-blind dosing. Four days of placebo washout separated each active cannabinoid condition.

Results:

As compared with placebo, marijuana and dronabinol dose dependently increased daily caloric intake and body weight in HIV-positive marijuana smokers. All cannabinoid conditions produced significant intoxication, except for low-dose dronabinol (5 mg); the intoxication was rated positively (eg, “good drug effect”) with little evidence of discomfort and no impairment of cognitive performance. Effects of marijuana and dronabinol were comparable, except that only marijuana (3.9% THC) improved ratings of sleep.

Conclusions:

These data suggest that for HIV-positive marijuana smokers, both dronabinol (at doses 8 times current recommendations) and marijuana were well tolerated and produced substantial and comparable increases in food intake.

Study by Margaret Haney, Erik W Gunderson, Judith Rabkin, Carl L Hart, Suzanne K Vosburg, Sandra D Comer, Richard W Foltin

Read the full study on Ovid

Explore Eligibility for Medical Cannabis

If your mood continues to affect your daily life despite trying standard treatments, you may be eligible for a specialist assessment. Medicann Clinics is a specialist-led UK medical cannabis clinic offering free consultations, no repeat prescription fees, and same-day UK despatch.

You can check your eligibility online today to take the next step toward personalised support.

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