Medical Cannabis: Which Conditions Does It Actually Help?
December 17, 2025
Share on Pinterest- A recent review found that many of the common uses of medical cannabis are not scientifically based.
- There may be anecdotal evidence to support various uses. However, clinical evidence is lacking partly due to limitations on the ability to effectively study cannabis.
- The review also indicates there may be risks associated with long-term medical cannabis use.
Many people rely on medical cannabis for pain management or to ease symptoms associated with chronic conditions, but new research questions whether there’s any real benefit.
A recent review published in JAMA found that the evidence to support the use of cannabis and cannabinoids for most medical indications is insufficient.
The authors state that only specific pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoid products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have demonstrated clear clinical benefits.
Michael Hsu, MD, a health sciences clinical assistant professor at the UCLA Health Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and the first author of the review, said in a press release that many people assume cannabis provides reliable medical benefits. However, recent research doesn’t support these assumptions.
“While many people turn to cannabis seeking relief, our review highlights significant gaps between public perception and scientific evidence regarding its effectiveness for most medical conditions,” he said.
Hsu added that it’s important for clinicians to give clear guidance to individuals in order to support safe and evidence-based decision making when discussing the use of medical cannabis.
“This is not a one-size-fits-all product,” said Sherry Yafai, MD, a board certified emergency medicine physician and Medical Director of Integrative Health at Women’s Health & Wellness Clinic at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. Yafai wasn’t involved in the research.
“Based on my clinical experience and review of the literature over the last decade, I find that the lay public grossly overemphasizes the benefits of cannabis, while the media/scientific world grossly underestimates the benefits of medical cannabis,” she told Healthline.
There is insufficient evidence for the use of cannabis to treat various health ailments.
The American College of Physicians does not recommend cannabis-based treatment as the first option for pain management, despite that many people rely on cannabis to treat chronic pain.
Other professional medical organizations have guidance against the use of cannabis-based treatment for the management of symptoms and conditions ranging from MS spasticity, insomnia, dementia, and cancer pain.
While cannabis may not be recommended as a first-line treatment for “off-label” use, there are some possible benefits of medical cannabis that have been approved by the FDA.
“These have been proven since Marinol (a synthetic THC) became FDA approved [in 1985], and Epidiolex (plant-based CBD) became FDA approved in the 2010s,” Yafai said. “My patients thank me routinely for treatment strategies implemented with cannabis.”
Yafai added that while there are many small studies on the benefits of medical cannabis, large studies are lacking. This is mostly due to the fact that cannabis is still illegal at the federal level in the United States.
The authors of the review examined safety concerns and risks associated with the use of cannabis and cannabinoids.
Long-term research in adolescents has shown that high-potency cannabis can be associated with higher rates of psychotic symptoms and generalized anxiety disorder.
Around 29% of medical cannabis users also met the criteria for cannabis use disorder.
The review found that daily consumption, especially of high-potency or inhaled products, can be associated with cardiovascular issues, including:
- heart attack
- stroke
- higher risk of coronary heart disease
“Anything that we put in our bodies comes with risk; this is no different,” Yafai said.
“Furthermore, anything abused comes at higher risks. Teens who think this is [a] ‘healthy’ option, just because it is a plant, often don’t realize they are consuming multiple plants’ worth of THC in one sitting or in a day,” she continued.
Zergabachew Asfaw, MD, clinical advisory committee member at Enable Healthcare and physician at A Z Medical in the Bronx, New York, agreed that medical cannabis use may come with risks. Asfaw wasn’t involved in the new review.
“There is also the possibility of adverse drug interactions due to the effects of cannabis on other drugs, where patients without medical cannabis supervision may be precipitating adverse drug reaction scenarios or scenarios where the drugs prescribed lose their efficacy or therapeutic effects,” he told Healthline.
Cannabis refers to the entire plant, including the dried flowers, leaves, and extracts.
Cannabinoids, such as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), are the chemicals of the cannabis plant that interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system and produce physiological effects.
Certain cannabinoids, such as dronabinol and cannabidiol, are available as FDA-approved medications for specific indications. Dronabinol is a synthetic form of THC.
It is important to remember that, unlike FDA-approved pharmaceutical cannabinoids, most cannabis products that are sold through dispensaries remain federally illegal under the U.S. Controlled Substances Act.
However, most states have legalized medical cannabis, and many have even legalized recreational use.
Pharmaceutical-grade cannabinoids are FDA-approved for specific uses, including:
- HIV-induced anorexia
- chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting
- various pediatric seizure disorders
Any use for non-approved conditions is considered “off-label” use. Some of the off-label uses include:
- chronic pain not associated with cancer
- multiple sclerosis (MS) associated spasticity
- cancer pain
- insomnia
- dementia
- psychiatric disorders
However, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) recommends against the use of cannabinoids or cannabis in the treatment of any psychiatric disorder. It emphasizes that cannabis may actually exacerbate or precipitate mental illness, particularly depression.
The authors of the review acknowledge the various limitations of their research.
For example, the analysis was not a systematic review, and no formal risk-of-bias assessment was conducted. Other limitations include, some of the included research was observational and may have been influenced by confounding factors.
The authors of the study recommend further research for a full understanding of the benefits and risks of medical cannabis.
“We must stress here that medical cannabis is not without its limitations,” Asfaw said.
“Its effects vary depending on dosage and particular medical condition, and the therapy is best customized and adjusted according to the patient as part of more comprehensive therapy,” Asfaw told Healthline.
Yafai gave the following recommendations for those who might be considering medical cannabis: “Consult a physician who is well-versed on medical cannabis, as all products are not the same. All gummies are not the same. What works for your friend may not work for you. Physicians who focus on cannabis are more likely to get you on a regimen that will yield better outcomes more quickly than trying this on your own.”
Asfaw added that clinically studied medical cannabis has both benefits and limitations. “Making patients aware of both benefits and limitations shapes their expectations and helps to mitigate disappointment or avoid overuse,” he said.
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