Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35815028›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in psychiatry2022

Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Cannabis Use Disorder: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Caroline Vuilleumier, Norbert Scherbaum, Udo Bonnet, Patrik Roser

Open access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in psychiatry, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
2.3field-weighted citation impact, top 13% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 13 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pharmacotherapies for cannabis use disorder.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Evidence Base on Outpatient Behavioral Treatments for Adolescent Substance Use, Update 2018-2023: Current Status, Best Practices, and Opportunities for Advancing the Science.Journal of clinical child and adolescent psychology : the official journal for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 53
    Pooled it
  4. Trial
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
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

4 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Caroline VuilleumierDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Services Aargau, Academic Teaching Hospital of the University of Zurich, Windisch, Switzerland.
Norbert ScherbaumDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LVR-Hospital Essen, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg Essen, Essen, Germany.
Udo BonnetDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LVR-Hospital Essen, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg Essen, Essen, Germany.
Patrik RoserDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric Services Aargau, Academic Teaching Hospital of the University of Zurich, Windisch, Switzerland.
University of Duisburg-Essen · DEUniversity of Zurich · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of cannabis use and cannabis use disorders (CUD) has significantly increased over time. However, there are no approved pharmacological treatments for CUD. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of various medical cannabinoids in the treatment of CUD. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of randomized controlled trials which evaluated the therapeutic potential of medical cannabinoids in individuals with CUD and summarized the main study outcomes in terms of cannabis use, abstinence, withdrawal symptoms, craving, retention in treatment and adverse events. Results: We identified eight trials with a total of 667 study participants. Dronabinol reduced cannabis withdrawal symptoms whereas nabiximols, cannabidiol and PF-04457845, a fatty acid amide inhibitor, also reduced cannabis use and improved abstinence, compared to placebo. Nabilone failed to demonstrate efficacy in the treatment of CUD. All medications were well-tolerated. Conclusions: Cannabinoid receptor agonists, i.e., dronabinol and nabilone, showed only limited or no therapeutic potential in the treatment of CUD. In contrast, modulators of endocannabinoid activity, i.e., nabiximols, cannabidiol and PF-04457845, demonstrated broader efficacy which covered almost all aspects of CUD. Endocannabinoid modulation appears to be a promising treatment approach in CUD, but the evidence to support this strategy is still small and future research in this direction is needed.

Indexed as

cannabinoidscannabis use disorder (CUD)efficacy and safetyendocannabinoid system (ECS)randomized controlled trialtreatment

Identifiers

PMID35815028
PMCPMC9256935
OpenAlexW4283278544

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.