#2-67E. Evidence vs. Hype: Navigating Therapeutic Cannabis and Cannabinoid Use (JAMA, 2025)

With approximately 27% of adults in the US and Canada reporting lifetime use of cannabis or cannabinoids for medical purposes, how confident are clinicians in providing evidence-based guidance to their patients? This review, "Therapeutic Use of Cannabis and Cannabinoids," synthesizes current evidence regarding the use of cannabinoids, their potential harms, and necessary clinical precautions like pretreatment screening and managing preexisting use. The most crucial finding highlights that evidence is insufficient to support the use of cannabis or cannabinoids for most medical indications, including acute pain and insomnia, despite widespread patient use. While the review confirmed FDA approvals for specific conditions like chemotherapy-induced nausea and certain pediatric seizure disorders, clinicians must note that this work is not a systematic review and therefore, many included observational studies may be subject to confounding factors. This paper is vital for physicians, offering clear guidance necessary to support safe, evidence-based decision-making. Clinicians must thoroughly weigh the documented benefits against the potential risks before engaging patients in informed discussions about cannabis or cannabinoid use.

Citation: Hsu M, Shah A, Jordan A, et al. Therapeutic Use of Cannabis and Cannabinoids. JAMA. 2025. DOI: doi:10.1001/jama.2025.19433

Disclaimer: This audio summary is based on personal interpretation and does not guarantee the exact content of the original paper. Please refer to the original article for details.