Two medical studies published Monday in a peer-reviewed journal conclude that there is insufficient data from previous research to evaluate the benefits of medical marijuana in treating chronic pain and post traumatic stress disorder.
But the studies’ researchers, who work in the Department of Veterans Affairs, are barred from commenting about their findings because the drug is illegal under federal law.
The VA researchers’ studies were published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Sachin Patel of the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital said the studies “highlight an alarming lack of high-quality data from which to draw firm conclusions about the efficacy of cannabis for these conditions, for which cannabis is both sanctioned and commonly used.”
Both studies reviewed previous research evaluating the effectiveness of cannabis and cannabis products in treating physical and psychological disorders.
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