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Medical cannabis study led by FGCU will explore best CBD/THC ratio for anxiety treatment

Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.
WMFE
/
The Florida Channel
Leon County Judge John Cooper on June 30, 2022, in a screen grab from The Florida Channel.

A study led by Florida Gulf Coast University, Releaf App and CannaMD hopes to further clarify just what ratios of cannabinoids best reduce anxiety symptoms.

According to data from the Florida Department of Health, there are more than 645,000 active patients eligible for medicinal cannabis in Florida. Qualifying conditions in Florida include things like cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, seizures, post-traumatic stress disorder, Parkinson’s disease and anxiety.

And while multiple peer-reviewed studies have shown that cannabis can be effective in treating anxiety, much less is known about the specific ratios of cannabinoids that work best to alleviate anxiety symptoms. Cannabinoids are naturally occurring compounds found in cannabis. There are more than 80 of them, the most commonly known being THC and CBD.

Anew study led by Florida Gulf Coast University, Releaf App, and CannaMD hopes to further clarify what ratios best reduce anxiety symptoms. CannaMD is one of the largest networks of medical cannabis physicians in Florida.

Researchers will track patient-reported experiences while consuming medical marijuana purchased at dispensaries around the state. Participants will answer daily, standardized anxiety-related questions using their smartphones for a 45-day period to track details about their cannabis use and associated outcomes related to symptom relief and side effects.

The goal is to recruit up to 1,000 certified Florida medical marijuana patients. Click here to learn more about the study or to register to become a participant.

On WGCU's Gulf Coast Life, Nate Pipitone, an assoicate professor in FGCU's Department of Psychology, and Jessica Walters, chief medical researcher with CannaMD, discuss the study.

Click on the Listen button above to hear the program.

Mike Kiniry is producer of Gulf Coast Live, and co-creator and host of the WGCU podcast Three Song Stories: Biography Through Music. He first joined the WGCU team in the summer of 2003 as an intern while studying Communication at Florida Gulf Coast University.