The research library
Peer-reviewed studies grouped by what they examined. Each one has a plain-English line on what it measured, in whom, and what the result does and does not support.
Anxiety
12 studiesTherapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) in anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
A 2024 systematic review pooled eight trials with 316 participants in total and found lower anxiety scores with CBD than with the comparison conditions, while the authors cautioned that the pooled sample is small and further trials are needed.
Cannabinoid treatments for anxiety: A systematic review and consideration of the impact of sleep disturbance.
A 2022 systematic review of 58 studies of CBD alone or with THC reported lower anxiety measures in healthy and some clinical populations without clear effects on sleep, and noted that the dose, duration and formulation for any use remain unsettled.
Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series.
A retrospective chart review at one psychiatric clinic followed 72 adults given CBD alongside their usual treatment and recorded lower anxiety scores in 57 of them in the first month and better sleep scores in 48, with no control group and no blinding.
Arthritis
14 studiesAttenuation of early phase inflammation by cannabidiol prevents pain and nerve damage in rat osteoarthritis.
In rats with chemically induced osteoarthritis, CBD injected into the joint was followed by less nerve firing, fewer pain behaviours and less acute inflammation, and early injection was followed by less later pain; this is an animal study and carries no implication for people.
The nonpsychoactive cannabis constituent cannabidiol is an oral anti-arthritic therapeutic in murine collagen-induced arthritis.
In mice with an induced form of arthritis, CBD given by mouth or injection after symptoms began was followed by slower progression of joint damage and lower inflammatory markers; this is an animal study and carries no implication for people.
Cannabidiol treatment in hand osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
One hundred and twenty-nine people with hand osteoarthritis or psoriatic arthritis took 20 to 30 mg of synthetic CBD or a placebo daily for twelve weeks, and the trial found no difference in pain intensity between the two groups.
Chronic Pain
12 studiesThe Effectiveness of Topical Cannabidiol Oil in Symptomatic Relief of Peripheral Neuropathy of the Lower Extremities.
Twenty-nine people with peripheral neuropathy of the legs applied a topical CBD oil or a placebo for four weeks, and the CBD group reported lower scores for intense, sharp, cold and itchy sensations on a pain questionnaire; the trial was small and relied on self-report.
Cannabidiol treatment in hand osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
One hundred and twenty-nine people with hand osteoarthritis or psoriatic arthritis took 20 to 30 mg of synthetic CBD or a placebo daily for twelve weeks, and the trial found no difference in pain intensity between the two groups.
CIRS
21 studiesTherapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) in anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
A 2024 systematic review pooled eight trials with 316 participants in total and found lower anxiety scores with CBD than with the comparison conditions, while the authors cautioned that the pooled sample is small and further trials are needed.
Cannabidiol treatment in hand osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
One hundred and twenty-nine people with hand osteoarthritis or psoriatic arthritis took 20 to 30 mg of synthetic CBD or a placebo daily for twelve weeks, and the trial found no difference in pain intensity between the two groups.
Concussion
10 studiesDementia
9 studiesFibromyalgia
12 studiesThe role of cannabis in treatment-resistant fibromyalgia women.
Thirty women with fibromyalgia who had exhausted standard medication completed a quality-of-life questionnaire before and one month after starting medical cannabis and reported higher scores in several domains; the study had no comparison group and the intervention was cannabis, not CBD alone.
High Blood Pressure
12 studiesInflammation
21 studiesAntioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol.
A 2019 narrative review summarises laboratory findings on how CBD interacts with cell receptors and with oxidative and inflammatory signalling; it is a review of mechanisms, not a clinical trial, and reports no patient outcomes.
Insomnia
13 studiesA double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of the safety and effects of CBN with and without CBD on sleep quality.
In a seven-night placebo-controlled trial of 293 adults who rated their own sleep as poor, those taking 20 mg of CBN reported fewer night-time awakenings and less overall sleep disturbance than the placebo group, with no significant difference in sleep quality, time to fall asleep or daytime fatigue, and adding CBD did not add to the effect.
Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series.
A retrospective chart review at one psychiatric clinic followed 72 adults given CBD alongside their usual treatment and recorded lower anxiety scores in 57 of them in the first month and better sleep scores in 48, with no control group and no blinding.
Migraines
8 studiesParkinson's
10 studiesPeripheral Neuropathy
6 studiesThe Effectiveness of Topical Cannabidiol Oil in Symptomatic Relief of Peripheral Neuropathy of the Lower Extremities.
Twenty-nine people with peripheral neuropathy of the legs applied a topical CBD oil or a placebo for four weeks, and the CBD group reported lower scores for intense, sharp, cold and itchy sensations on a pain questionnaire; the trial was small and relied on self-report.
Stress
7 studiesNo studies match that filter.
A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of the safety and effects of CBN with and without CBD on sleep quality.
In a seven-night placebo-controlled trial of 293 adults who rated their own sleep as poor, those taking 20 mg of CBN reported fewer night-time awakenings and less overall sleep disturbance than the placebo group, with no significant difference in sleep quality, time to fall asleep or daytime fatigue, and adding CBD did not add to the effect.
Antioxidative and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cannabidiol.
A 2019 narrative review summarises laboratory findings on how CBD interacts with cell receptors and with oxidative and inflammatory signalling; it is a review of mechanisms, not a clinical trial, and reports no patient outcomes.
Attenuation of early phase inflammation by cannabidiol prevents pain and nerve damage in rat osteoarthritis.
In rats with chemically induced osteoarthritis, CBD injected into the joint was followed by less nerve firing, fewer pain behaviours and less acute inflammation, and early injection was followed by less later pain; this is an animal study and carries no implication for people.
Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series.
A retrospective chart review at one psychiatric clinic followed 72 adults given CBD alongside their usual treatment and recorded lower anxiety scores in 57 of them in the first month and better sleep scores in 48, with no control group and no blinding.
Cannabidiol treatment in hand osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
One hundred and twenty-nine people with hand osteoarthritis or psoriatic arthritis took 20 to 30 mg of synthetic CBD or a placebo daily for twelve weeks, and the trial found no difference in pain intensity between the two groups.
Cannabinoid treatments for anxiety: A systematic review and consideration of the impact of sleep disturbance.
A 2022 systematic review of 58 studies of CBD alone or with THC reported lower anxiety measures in healthy and some clinical populations without clear effects on sleep, and noted that the dose, duration and formulation for any use remain unsettled.
The Effectiveness of Topical Cannabidiol Oil in Symptomatic Relief of Peripheral Neuropathy of the Lower Extremities.
Twenty-nine people with peripheral neuropathy of the legs applied a topical CBD oil or a placebo for four weeks, and the CBD group reported lower scores for intense, sharp, cold and itchy sensations on a pain questionnaire; the trial was small and relied on self-report.
The nonpsychoactive cannabis constituent cannabidiol is an oral anti-arthritic therapeutic in murine collagen-induced arthritis.
In mice with an induced form of arthritis, CBD given by mouth or injection after symptoms began was followed by slower progression of joint damage and lower inflammatory markers; this is an animal study and carries no implication for people.
The role of cannabis in treatment-resistant fibromyalgia women.
Thirty women with fibromyalgia who had exhausted standard medication completed a quality-of-life questionnaire before and one month after starting medical cannabis and reported higher scores in several domains; the study had no comparison group and the intervention was cannabis, not CBD alone.
Therapeutic potential of cannabidiol (CBD) in anxiety disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
A 2024 systematic review pooled eight trials with 316 participants in total and found lower anxiety scores with CBD than with the comparison conditions, while the authors cautioned that the pooled sample is small and further trials are needed.