Medical Marijuana for Parkinson’s Disease: What Studies Show
Can medical marijuana help Parkinson’s disease? Controlled studies have not shown that it does: a 2021 review of 15 studies found that controlled trials showed no significant improvement in movement symptoms overall. Smaller, uncontrolled studies report some changes in pain and sleep, but these are not proof.
Florida marijuana laws list Parkinson’s disease as a qualifying condition, so a qualified physician may certify it, with the first certification following an in-person exam.
What is Parkinson’s Disease?
Parkinson’s is a movement disorder that happens when nerve cells in the brain do not make enough of a brain chemical called dopamine. Its symptoms include trembling, stiffness, and poor balance and coordination, MedlinePlus explains.
Slowness of movement is another symptom. Symptoms begin gradually and can get worse over time.
Parkinson’s affects daily life in many ways, and as it progresses, balance problems that raise the risk of falls can become serious.
There is no cure for Parkinson’s, but a variety of medicines sometimes help symptoms, MedlinePlus notes. Research on cannabis and CBD for Parkinson’s is ongoing, but so far it is small and its results are mixed. In Florida, smoking medical marijuana became allowed under state law for qualified patients in 2019.
What Is the Research on Cannabinoids and Parkinson’s?
Controlled trials are few, and the main ones are summarized below, starting with what the FDA has and has not approved.
Medical marijuana is not an FDA-approved Parkinson’s treatment; FDA has not approved the marijuana plant for any disease or condition, and studies of what cannabinoids can do here are early.
The endocannabinoid system is a complex signaling system found throughout the brain and body. Its receptors interact with cells to help regulate various bodily functions, including mood, memory, sleep, and appetite.
Lab and animal studies have explored whether cannabinoids protect nerve cells, but this has not been shown in people, and a 2014 randomized trial of 21 people given CBD found no change in brain markers of nerve protection.
For slowness, extra movements and tremor, the same 2021 review found no significant motor improvement in the controlled trials.
In one 2014 randomized trial of CBD oil for Parkinson’s, 21 people were split into three groups of 7; the higher-dose group reported better quality of life, but motor symptoms did not change.
In a 2014 open-label study of 22 patients with no placebo group, motor scores improved 30 minutes after smoking cannabis; controlled trials have not confirmed this.
Most of these studies are small, so read each result with that in mind. The research is still in progress, and the uncontrolled studies look better than the controlled ones. The next section covers what patients report. Some people with Parkinson’s say cannabis products help them, but personal reports are not trial evidence.
Medical Marijuana and Parkinson’s Disease: What Patients Report
Medical marijuana is not a cure for Parkinson’s, and the benefits reported so far come mostly from small or uncontrolled studies.
Reported effects vary from person to person, and the 2021 review found too little good-quality data to support cannabis for movement symptoms.
Areas people with Parkinson’s ask about include:
- Pain relief: the 2014 open-label study reported lower pain scores, but it had no placebo group.
- Sleep: getting to sleep is often hard with Parkinson’s; the same open-label study reported better sleep scores, and NIH notes it is not clear whether cannabis acts on sleep directly.
- Movement: tremor and stiffness improved in uncontrolled reports, but a pooled analysis of 3 randomized trials with 83 patients found no significant motor benefit.
Parkinson’s is a qualifying condition in Florida, so if you live there you can ask a qualified physician whether certification fits alongside your neurologist’s plan. Keep taking your Parkinson’s medicines as prescribed; the evidence so far shows modest or uncertain effects at most.
Last updated October 16, 2026 by the Dr. Green Relief Editorial Team.
Medical review
Medically reviewed by Achilles Kalnoky, M.D.
Reviewed on .
He is licensed in Florida as a medical doctor, license ME115088, which you can check on the Florida Department of Health license lookup.
His review covers the medical statements in this post and the sources cited for them.
Sources
- Thanabalasingam SJ, et al. Cannabis and its derivatives for the use of motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2021 (PubMed)
- Chagas MH, et al. Effects of cannabidiol in the treatment of patients with Parkinson’s disease: an exploratory double-blind trial. J Psychopharmacol. 2014 (PubMed)
- Lotan I, et al. Cannabis (medical marijuana) treatment for motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson disease: an open-label observational study. Clin Neuropharmacol. 2014 (PubMed)
- NCCIH. Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoids: What You Need To Know
- FDA. FDA Regulation of Cannabis and Cannabis-Derived Products, Including Cannabidiol (CBD)
- The 2026 Florida Statutes, s. 381.986, Medical use of marijuana (Florida Senate)
- Florida Senate. CS/CS/CS/SB 182 (2019), Medical Use of Marijuana, chapter 2019-1
- MedlinePlus. Parkinson’s Disease
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Parkinson’s Disease
