Cannabis is increasingly used to treat a wide range of physical and mental health disorders, from PTSD or depression to inflammation and migraines. To add to this growing body of research, a new study has indicated that it may be able to help with another issue: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD.
ADHD has been a hot topic among mental health professionals in recent years as diagnoses have begun skyrocketing around the world, particularly in adult demographics. People with ADHD often battle with focus and attention, impulsive behaviors, patterns of hyperactivity, restlessness, mood swings, and more. Some medications can help with these issues, such as Adderall or Ritalin, but many of these prescription drugs come with their own side effects.
Few studies have been done previously on ADHD and cannabis, but that is finally starting to change. The new study, which was published in Neuropsychopharmacology Reports and conducted by researchers from the UK, found that cannabis can help ADHD patients with problems like anxiety and insomnia, which are common comorbidities among those who have ADHD. It also improved overall quality of life.
Cannabinoids such as THC and CBD have been demonstrated to have a variety of benefits, including improved cognitive function, that can directly help with mental health. Cannabis helps to relieve stress, alleviate depression, and increase serotonin production with much fewer side effects than traditional medications.
To conduct their research, the scientists gathered data from a pool of 68 patients from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry (UKMCR) over the span of a year. They administered cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) to all of the patients, although it’s important to note that 80% of participants already used some form of marijuana prior to starting the study.
The participants self-reported their symptoms periodically at one, three, six, and 12 months. During the reports, they measured their quality of sleep, anxiety symptoms, and overall health. These metrics improved for the majority of participants, with anxiety and sleep quality showing the strongest differences. Nine of the patients completely stopped using their traditional ADHD medication during the study, and only 11 reported side effects like insomnia, dry mouth, and fatigue.
“This case series is the first of its kind in assessing the clinical outcome of patients from the UKMCR with a primary diagnosis of ADHD prescribed CBMPs for up to 12 months,” the researchers wrote. “CBMPs were well-tolerated throughout this study and the majority of patients (83.82%) did not report any adverse events.”
They concluded that more research needs to be done to confirm these findings, acknowledging the limitations of this particular study. However, this news is promising for those with ADHD, highlighting a potential future with less dependence on stimulants and other prescription drugs.
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