Can Medical Cannabis Help People with ADHD

A study by a team of British scientists provides new evidence of the potential benefits of medical cannabis for people with ADHD. This rare study, published in Psychopharmacology Reports, examined ADHD patients using medical cannabis for 12 years. They saw improvements in anxiety, sleep quality and overall health-related quality of life.

Patients tolerated cannabis well: less than one-fifth of them reported negative side effects, most of which were moderate. The study authors say these results, while not definitive, provide a rationale for future research into the use of cannabis to treat ADHD.

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Understanding ADHD and the challenges of the people with it

ADHD, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by poor concentration, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Although traditionally classified as a disorder, many experts now define it as a type of neurodiversity (natural human variation in the way different brains process information).

Viewed from this perspective, ADHD presents unique benefits such as creative thinking, high energy levels, and hyper-focus. However, the diagnosis also comes with a number of difficulties: not only problems with concentration, hyperactivity and impulsivity, but also a higher risk of sleep problems, anxiety and depression. These difficulties can negatively impact quality of life, learning, work and social relationships.

Data from 2022 show that over 10% of the population suffers from ADHD. Although some medications have been shown to be effective in relieving ADHD symptoms (such as Adderall, Ritalin, and Wellbutrin), many of them cause negative side effects. Due to the risk of effects such as decreased appetite, insomnia, emotional dysregulation, irritability, and adverse cardiovascular events, many people diagnosed with ADHD avoid the use of these medications.

The potential of cannabis in the treatment of ADHD

Cannabis is known to activate the endocannabinoid system , which, according to preclinical research, may be impaired in people with ADHD. Additional research indicates that cannabis may help increase concentration, motivation, learning ability, memory, and reduce hyperactivity, racing thoughts, and impulsivity in people with ADHD.

However, other studies have observed that cannabis may worsen cognitive function in ADHD patients. These contrasting findings highlight the need for further, in-depth research to understand the true effects of cannabis on ADHD.

ADHD and cannabis: A 12-Month study

To investigate the long-term effects of cannabis use in people with ADHD, researchers in this study analyzed data from 68 ADHD patients from the British Medical Marijuana Register. Eighty percent of patients had previously used cannabis.

By analyzing patient-reported outcome measures (as well as daily doses of CBD and THC ) at 1, 3, 6, and 12-month intervals, anxiety levels, sleep quality, and overall health-related quality of life were found to improve.

Only 11 of 68 participants reported any negative side effects. Nine patients actually stopped taking other ADHD medications during treatment. Importantly, anxiety and sleep quality scores improved at each subsequent measurement throughout the 12-month period.

Significant improvements were also seen in overall health-related quality of life over the first 6 months of the study. However, after 12 months, these improvements returned to baseline levels – with no significant difference between patients who had previously used cannabis and those who had not.

The researchers also noted some moderate negative side effects: the most common were insomnia, impaired concentration, lethargy and dry mouth. Still, only 11 of 68 participants reported any negative side effects.

Implications and need for further research

A new study adds detail to research on cannabis for ADHD. The researchers extracted data from real cannabis patients, as opposed to data from population studies or experiments on cells or animals.

However, this study has some limitations. First of all, he cannot prove that cannabis caused the observed improvements; it may just be a correlation. Furthermore, scientists have not studied the different effects resulting from different cannabis use patterns: not only dosage, but also the chemical components of different strains and consumption methods.

Therefore, each of these schemes requires separate examination. We cannot assume that all cannabis strains will produce the same results.

The study included mainly men (80.88%), which may lead to an overrepresentation of the effects of cannabis on men with ADHD. Future research should consider how cannabis may affect male and female ADHD patients differently.

Overall, this study shows strong evidence that cannabis may benefit people with ADHD, particularly when it comes to relieving the anxiety and sleep disturbances associated with the condition. However, more research is needed to confirm these results and determine the best ways to use cannabis for these purposes. If you are interested in using cannabis to treat ADHD, consult a cannabis clinic that specializes in medical cannabis treatment.

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First published in FaktyKonopne. A third-party contributor translated and adapted the article from the original. In case of discrepancy, the original will prevail.

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