RESEARCH LIBRARY.

PRIMARY FINDINGS

Mixed evidence. Some studies suggest cannabis may reduce PTSD symptoms in the short term; others find cannabis use associated with worse PTSD outcomes long-term. Evidence insufficient for clinical recommendation.

LIMITATIONS

Heterogeneous study designs; few RCTs; potential confounding by self-medication; no VA clinical guideline resulted

PRIMARY FINDINGS

Substantial evidence that cannabis/cannabinoids reduce chronic pain in adults. Moderate evidence for improved sleep in chronic pain patients. Limited evidence for PTSD treatment.

LIMITATIONS

Review of existing observational and clinical studies; does not establish causation for specific conditions; many studies have small samples

PRIMARY FINDINGS

Cannabis use associated with increased odds of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Causality cannot be established — cannabis may be used to self-medicate symptoms.

LIMITATIONS

Cross-sectional design in most studies; cannot determine direction of causation; confounding likely

PRIMARY FINDINGS

Cannabis use among adults 50+ increased significantly. Older adults face elevated risks from drug interactions, falls, and cognitive effects.

LIMITATIONS

Self-reported survey; limited clinical data on older adults; polypharmacy not fully assessed

PRIMARY FINDINGS

Cannabis use among veterans in VA care increased over the study period. Prevalence warrants continued monitoring and research.

LIMITATIONS

VA data may not represent all veterans; based on medical record documentation which may underreport actual use

PRIMARY FINDINGS

Approximately 2.5% of U.S. adults met criteria for cannabis use disorder in the past year. Prevalence higher among veterans with co-occurring conditions.

LIMITATIONS

Self-reported survey data; cross-sectional; may not generalize to clinical populations

PRIMARY FINDINGS

Women may experience different cannabis effects than men, including greater impairment and different tolerance patterns. Research on women veterans is limited.

LIMITATIONS

Most studies in men; few veteran-specific data; pregnancy/breastfeeding data limited

PRIMARY FINDINGS

Inhaled cannabis produced modest reductions in chronic neuropathic pain compared to placebo. Number needed to treat (NNT) was approximately 5.6.

LIMITATIONS

Small sample sizes; short duration; high risk of bias in some trials; studied inhaled route only

PRIMARY FINDINGS

States with medical cannabis laws had approximately 25% lower opioid overdose mortality rates compared to states without such laws.

LIMITATIONS

Ecological study; cannot establish individual-level causation; association may be confounded by other state-level factors

PRIMARY FINDINGS

Limited evidence that cannabis/cannabinoids may improve sleep in chronic pain and other conditions. Tolerance to sleep effects may develop. Long-term effects unknown.

LIMITATIONS

Few studies; heterogeneous outcomes; most studies short-term; potential for tolerance to sedative effects