Researchers Find Cannabis to Diminish Severity of OCD Symptoms by Half in the Short Term

Feb, 2021 - By WMR

According to a new study led by the researchers of Washington State University have suggested that individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), who smoked cannabis reported about significant reduction (around 50%) in the severity of their OCD symptoms within four hours of smoking. In the study, researchers assessed the data that was entered in Strainprint app used by people who self-reported of having OCD. OCD can be defined as a condition which is characterized by indiscreet, repetitive behaviors, and persistent thoughts. Moreover, OCD individuals reported that after smoking cannabis, their compulsions by was reduced by 60%, anxiety by 52%, whereas intrusions, or unwanted thoughts by 49%.

Carrie Cuttler, corresponding author from Washington State University stated, “The results overall indicate that cannabis may have some beneficial short-term but not really long-term effects on obsessive-compulsive disorder. To me, the CBD findings are really promising because it is not intoxicating. This is an area of research that would really benefit from clinical trials looking at changes in compulsions, intrusions and anxiety with pure CBD.”

In the study, researchers collected and evaluated data of 87 individuals registered into the Strainprint app over 31 months and included over 1,800 cannabis sessions. Researchers noted that the prolonged usage of cannabis, its associated reductions in intrusions reduced gradually, indicating that these individuals were building tolerance, however the association between cannabis and reductions in anxiety and compulsions and anxiety remained constant. Researchers concluded that they are focusing on further studies so as to gain more clarity about the link between cannabis use and OCD, as there is insufficient information available in this area.