Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39947878›Full record

SynthesisAddiction (Abingdon, England)2025

Efficacy of cannabidiol alone or in combination with Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol for the management of substance use disorders: An umbrella review of the evidence.

Bertrand Redonnet, Filiz Eren, Guillaume Avenin, Maria Melchior, Murielle Mary-Krause

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
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.

Bertrand RedonnetSorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique [IPLESP], Epidémiologie Sociale, Santé Mentale et Addictions [ESSMA], Paris, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-9678-3290
Filiz ErenSorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique [IPLESP], Epidémiologie Sociale, Santé Mentale et Addictions [ESSMA], Paris, France.
Guillaume AveninSorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique [IPLESP], Epidémiologie Sociale, Santé Mentale et Addictions [ESSMA], Paris, France.
Maria MelchiorSorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique [IPLESP], Epidémiologie Sociale, Santé Mentale et Addictions [ESSMA], Paris, France.
Murielle Mary-KrauseSorbonne Université, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Épidémiologie et de Santé Publique [IPLESP], Epidémiologie Sociale, Santé Mentale et Addictions [ESSMA], Paris, France.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND

aimsSubstance use disorders (SUD) lead to a high burden of disease, yet treatment options are limited. Cannabidiol (CBD) is being investigated as a potential therapeutic target due to its pharmacological properties and mode of action in the endocannabinoid system. Recent systematic reviews (SR) on CBD and SUDs have shown inconsistent results. The objective of this umbrella review was to determine whether CBD alone or in combination with Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is effective for managing and treating SUDs.

methodsFollowing a registered protocol, we searched PubMed, Web of Science and Epistemonikos databases for SRs, with or without a meta-analysis, of randomized controlled trials focusing on interventions dispensing CBD, alone or in combination with THC, to treat SUDs, published from 1 January 2000 to 15 October 2024. Screening, data extraction and quality assessment with the AMSTAR 2 tool were performed by two researchers in parallel and duplicated.

results22 SRs were included, 5 of which performed a meta-analysis. We found mixed evidence regarding the efficacy of CBD to manage and treat SUDs. Findings were interpreted in light of the quality of the SRs. Nabiximols, which contains CBD and THC, demonstrated positive effects on cannabis withdrawal and craving symptoms. Evidence supporting the efficacy of CBD is limited and inconclusive for abstinence, reduction or cessation of use of cannabis, tobacco, alcohol, opiates and other psychoactive substances.

conclusionCannabidiol (CBD) monotherapy does not appear to be efficacious for treatment of substance use disorders. CBD primarily exhibits effects on cannabis withdrawal and craving when combined with Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Existing data on the efficacy of CBD alone with regard to other outcomes related to substance use disorders are limited.

Indexed as

CannabidiolDronabinolSubstance-Related DisordersDrug Therapy, CombinationHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicCannabidiolDronabinolcannabidiolCBDrandomized controlled trialssubstance use disorderssubstance use treatmentumbrella review

Identifiers

PMID39947878
PMCPMC11986292

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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.