Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33008420›Full record

SynthesisJournal of translational medicine2020

Cannabis, a cause for anxiety? A critical appraisal of the anxiogenic and anxiolytic properties.

Lara Sharpe, Justin Sinclair, Andrew Kramer, Michael de Manincor, Jerome Sarris

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of translational medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 71 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
71citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
9.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

71 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 118 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) guidelines: cannabis for psychological symptoms including insomnia, anxiety, and depression.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
    Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Observational
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Involvement of Adenosine ABrain and behavior · 2026
    Article
  14. Direct modulation of human GABA-A αFrontiers in neuroscience · 2026
    Review
  15. Review
  16. Observational
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. The AhR Is a Critical Regulator of the Pulmonary Response to Cannabis Smoke.FASEB journal : official publication of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology · 2025
    Article
  20. Impact of cannabis use on health outcomes and prescription benzodiazepine use.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025
    Article

11 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Lara SharpeNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.
Justin SinclairNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.
Andrew KramerNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.
Michael de ManincorNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.
Jerome SarrisNICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia. j.sarris@westernsydney.edu.au.
Western Sydney University · AUMelbourne Clinic · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCannabis has been documented for use in alleviating anxiety. However, certain research has also shown that it can produce feelings of anxiety, panic, paranoia and psychosis. In humans, Δ

objectivesTo systematically review studies assessing cannabinoid interventions (e.g. THC or CBD or whole cannabis interventions) both in animals and humans, as well as recent epidemiological studies reporting on anxiolytic or anxiogenic effects from cannabis consumption.

methodThe articles selected for this review were identified up to January 2020 through searches in the electronic databases OVID MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, and PsycINFO.

resultsAcute doses of CBD were found to reduce anxiety both in animals and humans, without having an anxiogenic effect at higher doses. Epidemiological studies tend to support an anxiolytic effect from the consumption of either  CBD or THC, as well as whole plant cannabis. Conversely, the available human clinical studies demonstrate a common anxiogenic response to THC (especially at higher doses).

conclusionBased on current data, cannabinoid therapies (containing primarily CBD) may provide a more suitable treatment for people with pre-existing anxiety or as a potential adjunctive role in managing anxiety or stress-related disorders. However, further research is needed to explore other cannabinoids and phytochemical constituents present in cannabis (e.g. terpenes) as anxiolytic interventions. Future clinical trials involving patients with anxiety disorders are warranted due to the small number of available human studies.

Indexed as

Anti-Anxiety AgentsCannabidiolCannabisAnimalsAnxietyAnxiety DisordersHumansAnti-Anxiety AgentsCannabidiolAnti-anxietyAnxietyAnxiogenicAnxiolyticCannabinoidCannabisCBDTHC

Identifiers

PMID33008420
PMCPMC7531079
OpenAlexW3091517227

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.