Survey: Patients With Eating Disorders Frequently Report Benefits From Cannabis

A large international survey suggests that many people living with eating disorders are already using cannabis—and frequently report that it helps them manage symptoms such as food anxiety, nausea, difficulty eating, and poor mental health.

The findings add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that cannabis and cannabinoid-based medicines deserve further clinical investigation. However, researchers also identified potential risks, including cannabis dependence and the possibility of worsening symptoms among people with binge eating disorder.

The research was highlighted by National NORML, whose continued reporting helps patients, advocates, and policymakers follow emerging cannabis science.

More Than Half of Survey Participants Reported Using Cannabis

Published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Eating Disorders, the study analyzed responses from 5,383 adults who reported either a diagnosed eating disorder or disordered eating that caused significant distress.

Researchers found that:

• 56.1 percent had used cannabis during the previous 12 months.

• 42.1 percent of cannabis consumers used it daily.

• 24.3 percent reported consuming cannabis several times per day.

• Cannabis was the third most frequently used substance reported, following caffeine and alcohol.

Cannabis flower was the most common product, used by 88.4 percent of respondents who consumed cannabis. Edibles were used by 51.2 percent, followed by vaporized products, cannabis oils, and concentrates.

The findings demonstrate that cannabis use is not unusual within the eating-disorder community. For many respondents, it was already part of how they attempted to manage their symptoms.

Patients Reported Improvements in Eating-Disorder Symptoms

Survey participants generally rated cannabis positively for managing eating-disorder symptoms. According to National NORML’s summary, respondents rated its perceived effectiveness more favorably than the prescription medications evaluated in the broader survey.

The reported effects were not uniform across every type of eating disorder.

People with anorexia nervosa and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder, commonly known as ARFID, reported some of the most significant improvements. Participants described cannabis as helping them:

• Reduce anxiety surrounding food

• Experience less nausea

• Increase their ability to eat

• Manage distress associated with restrictive eating

• Improve their general mental health

Respondents who inhaled cannabis flower daily reported particularly strong perceived improvements. However, this finding does not establish that daily inhalation is an effective or safe treatment. It reflects the experiences reported by survey participants rather than the results of a controlled clinical trial.

Cannabis Did Not Help Every Eating Disorder Equally

The study’s most important takeaway may be that “eating disorders” cannot be treated as a single condition.

While people with restrictive or food-averse eating disorders frequently reported benefits, participants with binge eating disorder were more likely to report that cannabis worsened their symptoms. Researchers suggested that cannabis-related increases in appetite or overeating could be counterproductive for this group.

That distinction matters. A substance that may help one patient eat could potentially make another patient’s symptoms more difficult to control.

Cannabis should therefore not be presented as a universal treatment for eating disorders. Different diagnoses, cannabinoid formulations, doses, methods of consumption, and individual health histories may produce very different outcomes.

Respondents Also Reported Mental-Health Benefits

Most respondents reported that cannabis improved their general mental health, regardless of their specific eating-disorder diagnosis.

Eating disorders frequently overlap with anxiety, depression, obsessive thoughts, trauma, and other mental-health challenges. Some participants described cannabis as offering relief from both eating-related symptoms and the emotional distress surrounding them.

At the same time, daily cannabis consumers reported higher rates of co-occurring mental-health conditions and greater use of other non-prescription substances.

Because this was an observational survey, researchers cannot determine whether cannabis use contributed to those conditions, whether people with more severe symptoms were more likely to use cannabis, or whether other factors explain the association.

Researchers Also Identified Potential Risks

The survey did not report benefits without acknowledging potential harms.

Among respondents who had recently used cannabis:

• 18.4 percent believed they had a problem with cannabis.

• Another 14 percent believed they might have a problem.

• Some participants reported worsening eating-disorder symptoms or mental-health problems.

These findings reinforce the need for honest, evidence-based conversations about cannabis. Patients should be able to discuss cannabis with healthcare professionals without stigma, but they should also receive accurate information about dependence, adverse effects, medication interactions, and the possibility that cannabis could aggravate certain symptoms.

Eating disorders can be serious and potentially life-threatening medical conditions. Anyone experiencing one should seek care from a qualified professional familiar with eating-disorder treatment. Cannabis should not be used as a substitute for appropriate medical or mental-health care.

What the Study Can—and Cannot—Tell Us

This research provides valuable insight into the real-world experiences of thousands of people, but it has important limitations.

Participants self-reported their diagnoses, cannabis consumption, and symptom changes. Researchers did not randomly assign cannabis products, independently confirm every diagnosis, or control cannabinoid doses and formulations.

The results therefore cannot prove that cannabis caused the reported improvements.

They can, however, identify patterns worthy of closer scientific attention. When thousands of patients report using cannabis—and many describe meaningful benefits—researchers should investigate those experiences through controlled clinical trials rather than dismissing them.

The study’s authors concluded that future trials of THC- and CBD-containing products are warranted, particularly for restrictive and food-averse eating disorders. They also emphasized that future research must carefully monitor dependence and other adverse effects.

Cannabis Research Must Catch Up With Patients

Patients are already making decisions about cannabis, often without sufficient clinical guidance. Federal prohibition and decades of stigma have made it more difficult to conduct the kind of research doctors and patients need.

That leaves healthcare professionals in a difficult position: cannabis use is widespread, patients frequently report benefits, but high-quality clinical evidence remains limited.

The answer is not to ignore what patients are saying. It is to study cannabis more thoroughly, educate healthcare providers, and replace stigma with scientifically informed care.

This survey does not establish cannabis as a proven treatment for eating disorders. It does show that many patients perceive it as helpful—especially those living with anorexia nervosa or ARFID—and that their experiences deserve serious investigation.

Suncoast NORML thanks National NORML for bringing attention to this research. Readers can also review the full study in the Journal of Eating Disorders.

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.