Associations of cannabis use, other substances, and lifestyle choices on anxiety in medical cannabis patients across 45 days

Previous research has shown medical cannabis (MC) to help reduce anxiety for some individuals, although most studies show trends using cross-sectional designs or conduct secondary analyses of preexisting data. The present study systematically tracked 416 registered MC patients in Florida across 45 days to assess daily shifts in anxiety levels. Using daily recording software, collected data included the frequency of MC use, other substances (e.g., alcohol, anxiolytic medication), other activities (e.g., exercise, meditation), length of previous MC use, and history of anxiety, among other demographic variables. Using linear mixed-effects modeling, results showed that MC use led to the largest anxiety relief across the 45-day period. When participants only used other substances or engaged in activities on certain days, they also saw anxiety reductions, but the major factor in any measurable change in anxiety when comparing different groups to one another was MC use. Age, sex, history of MC use, length of anxiety, and route of MC administration did not significantly contribute to the findings. Sensitivity analyses revealed that novice and experienced MC patients had similar anxiety reductions, although novice patients had slightly better relief outcomes than experienced patients across the 45 days. The anxiolytic effects of MC documented in this study comport with other published work conducting secondary analyses of preexisting data. Although MC can have anxiogenic effects in some individuals, others find it to be an effective way to reduce daily anxiety.