Systematic review and meta-analysis of cannabinoids in palliative medicine

A systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of cannabinoids in palliative medicine across nine studies with a total of 1561 participants.

In cancer patients, there were no significant differences between cannabinoids and placebo for improving caloric intake (standardised mean differences [SMD]: 0.2 95% confidence interval [CI]: [−0.66, 1.06] P = 0.65), appetite (SMD: 0.81 95% CI: [−1.14, 2.75]; P = 0.42), nausea/vomiting (SMD: 0.21 [−0.10, 0.52] P = 0.19), >30% decrease in pain (risk differences [RD]: 0.07 95% CI: [−0.01, 0.16]; P = 0.07), or sleep problems (SMD: −0.09 95% CI: [−0.62, 0.43] P = 0.72).

In human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients, cannabinoids were superior to placebo for weight gain (SMD: 0.57 [0.22; 0.92]; P = 0.001) and appetite (SMD: 0.57 [0.11; 1.03]; P = 0.02) but not for nausea/vomiting (SMD: 0.20 [−0.15, 0.54]; P = 0.26).

Regarding side effects in cancer patients, there were no differences between cannabinoids and placebo in symptoms of dizziness (RD: 0.03 [−0.02; 0.08]; P = 0.23) or poor mental health (RD: −0.01 [−0.04; 0.03]; P = 0.69), whereas in HIV patients, there was a significant increase in mental health symptoms (RD: 0.05 [0.00; 0.11]; P = 0.05).