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SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1521792
This article is part of the Research Topic Cannabis and Cannabinoids for Pain Treatment: Clinical and Non-Clinical Advances on Mechanisms and Applications View all articles

Therapeutic Potential of Cannabinoids in Neurological Conditions: A systematic Review of Clinical Trials

Provisionally accepted
Alqassem Yahia Hakami Alqassem Yahia Hakami 1,2*Fahad S. Alshehri Fahad S. Alshehri 3
  • 1 College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • 2 King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah 21423, Saudi Arabia., Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • 3 Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Abstract Overview: Cannabinoids have gained increasing attention for their therapeutic potential in treating several neurological conditions, including neurodegenerative diseases, chronic pain, and epilepsy. This review aims to assess the current clinical trials investigating cannabinoids, primarily Tetrahydrocannabinol and Cannabidiol, for neurological disorders. This review will aim to highlight the efficacy, safety, and outcome measures used in these trials. Methods: Clinical trials were identified using ClinicalTrials.gov, focusing on studies that examined the effects of cannabinoids in treating neurological conditions. All Trials fulfilled the following criteria were included: Phase 1–4, focused on cannabinoids as primary intervention, and measured relevant outcomes such as pain relief, cognitive function, or spasticity reduction. Data on conditions, interventions, primary and secondary outcomes, and trial phases were extracted and analysed. Results: A total of 47 clinical trials were identified, including different neurological conditions. The most frequently studied conditions were Multiple Sclerosis, Fibromyalgia, and Parkinson’s Disease. Most trials were in Phase 2, with the primary outcome measures focused on pain management, spasticity, and cognitive function. Secondary outcomes included safety and tolerability measures. Conclusion: The review highlights the broad therapeutic potential of cannabinoids in neurology, with promising results in symptom management for conditions like Multiple Sclerosis and Fibromyalgia. However, the lack of standardized study protocols, dosing, and outcome measures presents challenges for broader clinical implementation.

    Keywords: Cannabinoids, neurodegeneraFve diseases, Chronic Pain, Epilepsy, clinical trials

    Received: 02 Nov 2024; Accepted: 13 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Hakami and Alshehri. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Alqassem Yahia Hakami, College of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah, 11426, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.