November 28, 2025

@michaelokun

Do you know the 9 harm reduction strategies for cannabis use? New 2025 update on cannabis use in the journal JAMA just dropped: what every household should know whether you have Parkinson's or not. Cannabinoids are chemical compounds from the cannabis plant that interact w/ the body’s signaling systems to influence symptoms like nausea, appetite, pain, sleep and anxiety. Michael Hsu and colleagues describe in a new paper in JAMA a sweeping 2025 update on the therapeutic use of cannabis and cannabinoids, summarizing where these products help, where they fall short, and where risks clearly outweigh benefits. Key Points: - Evidence shows benefit in only a few conditions such as chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, HIV/AIDS related anorexia and certain pediatric seizure disorders. - Support for most other uses remains insufficient. - High-potency cannabis carries clear psychiatric, cardiovascular and cognitive risks especially among vulnerable groups including youth, folks w/ heart disease and those w/ psychosis. - Dispensary cannabis frequently contains unpredictable potency and contaminants making pharmaceutical grade products the safest option when cannabinoids are used therapeutically. My take: In my practice, I have seen folks benefit in anxiety, sleep and pain when using cannabinoids for Parkinson's disease and beyond. There are cannabinoid receptors all over the brain and basal ganglia. I love the 9 harm reduction strategies on the table below. Here are 5 points that resonated w/ me: 1- Most conditions lack strong evidence for benefit from cannabis or cannabinoids and require careful weighing of risks vs benefits. 2- High-potency THC increases risk of anxiety, psychosis, impaired driving and cardiovascular events and should be avoided when possible. 3- Pharmaceutical grade CBD and THC formulations are safer than unregulated dispensary products due to rigorous testing for purity and dose accuracy. 4- Cannabis may interact w/ other medications, which means health care providers must review each person's full medication list before considering use. 5- Safe use strategies matter. #michaelokun #fixelinstitute #parkinson #cannabiscommunity