Trial reportCanadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie2024
Cannabidiol as an Adjunctive Treatment for Acute Bipolar Depression: A Pilot Study: Le cannabidiol comme traitement d'appoint de la dépression bipolaire aiguë : une étude pilote.
Trial report in Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT03310593 (A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial of Adjunctive Cannabidiol for Bipolar Depression), which is not on this map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
A Double-blind, Randomized, Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial of Adjunctive Cannabidiol for Bipolar Depression
Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Cannabis use and mood disorders: a systematic review.Frontiers in public health · 2024Pooled it
- [Psychiatric aspects of commercially available products containing cannabidiol].Der Nervenarzt · 2026Review
- Might modulation of the endocannabinoid system provide a potential dual therapeutic strategy for osteoporosis and depression?General psychiatry · 2026Article
- Cannabidiol at the crossroads: panacea, placebo, or problem?Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026Review
- Cannabinoid Therapies in Less-Common Disorders: Clinical Evidence and Formulation Strategies.Diseases (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Update of the statement on safety of cannabidiol as a novel food.EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority · 2026Article
- Randomised Controlled Trial Evidence on Medicinal Cannabis for Treatment of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: A Scoping Review.Clinical drug investigation · 2026Article
- Placebo effects in a RCT assessing 30 days of low dose Cannabidiol (CBD) treatment for psychological distress in stressed students at risk for depression.Journal of cannabis research · 2025Article
- Defining Treatment-Resistant Bipolar Depression: Recommendations From the ISBD Task Force.Bipolar disorders · 2025Review
- A novel insight into the antidepressant effect of cannabidiol: possible involvement of the 5-HT1A, CB1, GPR55, and PPARγ receptors.The international journal of neuropsychopharmacology · 2025Review
- CBD's potential impact on Parkinson's disease: An updated overview.Open medicine (Warsaw, Poland) · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
18 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveThe treatment of bipolar depression remains challenging due to the limited effective and safe therapeutic options available; thus, developing newer treatments that are effective and well tolerable is an urgent unmet need. The objective of the present trial was to test 150 to 300 mg/day of cannabidiol as an adjunctive treatment for bipolar depression.
methodA randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study to assess the efficacy of adjunctive cannabidiol in bipolar depression was used. Efficacy parameters were changes in the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) from baseline to week 8. Secondary outcomes included response and remission rates, changes in anxiety and psychotic symptoms, and changes in functioning. Patients continued double-blind treatment until week 12 to monitor for adverse effects, laboratory analysis, and manic symptoms. Study registry: NCT03310593.
resultsA total of 35 participants were included. MADRS scores significantly decreased from baseline to the endpoint (placebo, -14.56; cannabidiol, -15.38), but there was no significant difference between the groups. Similarly, there were no other significant effects on the secondary outcomes. However, an exploratory analysis showed a significant effect of cannabidiol 300 mg/day in reducing MADRS scores from week 2 to week 8 (placebo, -6.64; cannabidiol, -13.72). There were no significant differences in the development of manic symptoms or any other adverse effects.
conclusionCannabidiol did not show significantly higher adverse effects than placebo. Despite the negative finding on the primary outcome, an exploratory analysis suggested that cannabidiol should be further studied in bipolar depression in higher doses of at least 300 mg/day and under research designs that could better control for high placebo response.
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Registered trials
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.