Laila Moussi
L. Moussi, D. Santullano. Wright State University School of Professional Psychology, Dayton, OH, United States
Anxiety is one of the most common mental disorders in the United States, affecting approximately one in five adults (Anxiety and Depression Association of America, 2018). First line treatments for anxiety include pharmacological interventions and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT; Turna et al., 2017). However, response rates to psychotropic medication vary and include side effects, which leads to noncompliance and discontinuation (Turna et al., 2017). Response rates to CBT are more promising, but this treatment is not widely available and can be costly (Turna et al., 2017). As an alternative for symptom relief, many individuals choose to use cannabis. Cannabis has been shown to have anxiolytic, antidepressant, and hypnotic effects, though at higher doses it may induce panic, paranoia, and anxiety (Turna et al., 2017). Findings from preliminary research on cannabis have demonstrated its therapeutic potential in the treatment and/or management of anxiety disorders; however, much of the recent research included flawed methodology or produced contradictory results (Van Ameringen, Zhang, Patterson, & Turna, 2020). While policies and laws about the legality of cannabis continue to change, cannabis research is still in its infancy. Therefore, it is the responsibility of providers to continually obtain accurate information on the demonstrated benefits and adverse effects of cannabis use to manage symptoms of anxiety. Ethical issues discussed include: Clinicians’ moral views on cannabis use, systems in which evidence or documentation of cannabis use may be harmful for the client, and various contraindications for the use of cannabis in managing anxiety among clients with varying demographic backgrounds. Despite preliminary research suggesting successful anxiety relief with the use of cannabis, as well as increasing societal acceptance of cannabis (Daniller, 2019), clinicians are cautioned about using cannabis in treatment until more research is completed. At this time, there is not enough certainty that the benefits of cannabis use for anxiety outweigh the risks, potentially putting clients in jeopardy of poor or unintended treatment outcomes with mental health providers potentially liable.