Cannabinoids for control of chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting: Quantitative systematic review.

Examined the antiemetic efficacy and adverse effects of cannabis used for sickness induced by chemotherapy. 30 randomised comparison studies of cannabis with placebo or antiemetics from which dichotomous data on efficacy and harm were available (1,366 patients) were used. Oral nabilone, oral dronabinol (tetrahydrocannabinol), and intramuscular levonantradol were tested. Results show that cannabinoids were more effective antiemetics than prochlorperazine, metoclopramide, chlorpromazine, thiethylperazine, haloperidol, domperidone, or alizapride. Cannabinoids were not more effective in patients receiving very low or very high emetogenic chemotherapy. In crossover trials, patients preferred cannabinoids for future chemotherapy cycles. Some potentially beneficial side effects that occurred more often with cannabinoids included a "high", sedation or drowsiness, and euphoria. Harmful side effects also occurred more often with cannabinoids, including dizziness, dysphoria or depression, hallucinations, paranoia, and arterial hypotension. Patients given cannabinoids were more likely to withdraw due to side effects. In selected patients, the cannabinoids tested in these trials may be useful as mood enhancing adjuvants for controlling chemotherapy related sickness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)