Hannover, Germany: The daily inhalation of medical cannabis is associated with a significant reduction in symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), according to a case report published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry.
A team of German researchers assessed the use of high-THC (22 percent) medical cannabis over a period of 20 months in a 22-year-old male patient diagnosed with OCD.
The subject reported “a marked reduction of obsessions and compulsions” following the initiation of medical cannabis. He further reported “general relaxation, improved sleep, and concentration at school as well as overall improvement of his quality of life resulting in better social functioning and reduced problems at work.”
At 20 months, the subject reported an improvement of compulsions and obsessions of more than 90 percent. No adverse side effects were reported.
Authors concluded: “[A] limited number of case studies … suggest that CBM [cannabis-based medicines] might be effective in the treatment of OCD. … The presented case report adds evidence to the hypothesis that modulation of the ECS by activating central CB1 receptors may improve OCD.”
Full text of the study, “Cannabis improves obsessive-compulsive disorder – Case report and review of the literature,” appears in Frontiers in Psychiatry.