Roughly 2.6% (139.8 million) of adults worldwide some form of ADHD.  With the Adderall shortage, what are the options?

In October 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration announced a shortage of Adderall.  The issue has has not be resolved and now, it seems, it is starting to have a larger effect on patients. South America (11.8%) has highest rate and Japan and Finland the lowest. American  about average (7%).  The average monthly prescription fill rate was 11% lower in the first half of 2023 than it was in the first half of 2022, and it did not show steady signs of improvement through the end of 2023.

More research needs to be done, but can medical marijuana help during the Adderall Shortage – or in general?  While scientists are still research cannabis and ADHD, there is some early data suggesting cannabis may be a helpful therapy.

RELATED: Science Says Medical Marijuana Improves Quality Of Life

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurological condition which makes it difficult to focus and can lead to impulsivity and hyperactivity. ADHD is the official medical diagnosis, whereas Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a now-outdated term that describes people with primarily inattentive symptoms.

While those diagnosed with ADHD may encounter trouble in school or work, most have gone on to lead successful lives. While there is no cure for ADHD, there are treatments that can help manage symptoms. Common treatments include medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes.

However, some people do not respond well to medication or cannot tolerate the side effects. As a result, many people turn to natural treatments like cannabis and CBD to treat their ADHD symptoms.  Any medical marijuana given to someone under 21 should be discussed with a health care professional as the research is still out and the brain is still developing.

It is worth noting there is some inconclusive evidence suggesting CBD might be used as an adjunctive treatment in schizophrenia, and a few isolated studies show CBD’s efficacy in social anxiety.

Two ways data based ways medical marijuana can help with symptoms of ADHD are sleep issues and reducing anxiety.  One of the most common reasons Americans use medical cannabis is to help with insomnia. Most people know what it is like trying to fall asleep when your mind is full of thoughts or concerns. Certain types of cannabis may help turn your busy brain into a blank board, allowing a solid night of sleep.

Another common medical reason is to manage anxiety and stress.  But certain strains of cannabis produce the same anxiety symptoms, so you have to be careful about the type of medical cannabis you choose. Stimulating cannabis strains can have a calming effect on people with ADHD symptoms. When consumed responsibly, Sativa cannabis may help calm social anxiety while allowing you to remain focused, alert, and conversational.

If you have been diagnosed with ADHD, have an open, fact based discussion with your health care profession about blending medical marijuana into your treatment.

A recent observational study conducted by a team of UK-based researchers found that medical cannabis may be beneficial for people with ADHD. In the rare study, researchers tracked specific cannabis patients with ADHD for 12 months, and observed improvements in their anxiety, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life. The patients tolerated the cannabis well: Less than one-fifth of them reported negative side effects, most of which were moderate. The authors argue that these results—while not definitive—nonetheless provide strong motivation for future studies on cannabis and ADHD.

“An association between [cannabis] treatment and improvements in anxiety, sleep quality, and general HRQoL was observed in patients with ADHD. Treatment was well tolerated at 12 months.”

Ittiphakorn, 2023, Neuropsychopharmacology Reports

Expanding ADHD treatments with cannabis 

ADHD—or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder—is a neurodevelopmental condition usually characterized by uneven focus, hyperactivity and impulsivity. While traditionally classified as a disorder, many experts now define it as a type of neurodivergence (a natural human variation in how different brains process information). 

Viewed from this perspective, ADHD presents unique benefits such as creative thinking, high energy levels, and hyperfocus. Yet the diagnosis comes with its share of difficulties, too: Not just difficulty focusing, hyperactivity and impulsiveness, but higher incidence of sleep issues, anxiety, and depression. These difficulties can negatively impact quality of life, school, work, and social relationships.

The National Health Interview Survey estimates that over 10% of the US population has ADHD. While some medications have proven somewhat effective in mitigating ADHD symptoms (such as Adderall, Ritalin, or Wellbutrin), many of them cause negative side effects. Due to risks like decreased appetite, insomnia, emotional dysregulation, irritability, and adverse cardiovascular events, many individuals diagnosed with ADHD avoid taking these medications. 

Given these challenges to treating ADHD, researchers have wondered whether cannabis might present an effective alternative, without such a high risk factor. Cannabis is known to activate the endocannabinoid system, which ADHD may impair, according to pre-clinical research. Additional research indicates that cannabis could help boost concentration, motivation, learning, memory, hyperactivity and impulsivity in individuals with ADHD. 

Other studies, however, have observed that cannabis can worsen cognitive function for ADHD patients.

ADHD and cannabis: 12-month study 

To examine the long-term outcomes of cannabis use for people with ADHD, researchers in the recent study analyzed data on 68 patients with ADHD from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Eighty percent of the patients were already cannabis consumers.

Looking at patient-reported outcome measures (as well as patients’ daily CBD and THC doses) at 1, 3, 6 and 12-month benchmarks, they determined that patients’ levels of anxiety, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life improved. 

Notably, anxiety and sleep quality metrics improved at each check-in throughout the 12 months. Significant improvements were also found in health-related quality of life over the first 6 months of the study. However, by month 12, these improvements had reversed to baseline – with no significant difference between patients who were existing consumers and those who were not. 

Researchers noted some moderate negative side effects as well: Most commonly insomnia, concentration impairment, lethargy, and dry mouth. Still, only 11 of the 68 participants reported any negative side effects at all. Nine patients actually stopped using their other ADHD medications during treatment. 

The study adds specificity to research on cannabis for ADHD. Researchers isolated data from real patients using real cannabis, as opposed to population-level survey data, or cell, or animal studies.

We need more research on ADHD and cannabis

While this study suggests that cannabis can mitigate some symptoms of ADHD, it does have some limitations. For one, it cannot prove that cannabis caused the improvements; it could simply be a correlation. Furthermore, the study did not investigate the different effects of varying regimens of cannabis consumption: Not just dosing, but also the chemical components of various strains and the method of consumption. As such, each varying regimen needs to be studied. We cannot proceed on the assumption that all variations of cannabis will result in the same outcomes. 

The cohort also had more male participants (80.88%), and may thus overrepresent how cannabis impacts males with ADHD. Future studies should look at how cannabis might impact male and female patients with ADHD differently. 

Finally, considering that the majority of the cohort was already using cannabis at the start of the study period—and that a cannabis consumer can develop a tolerance to its effects over time—it is possible that some patients had already developed a tolerance, or were receiving maximum benefit from cannabis during their baseline assessment. This could skew the results to show less benefits from cannabis. 

Overall, the study shows strong evidence that cannabis could benefit those with ADHD, especially when it comes to alleviating the anxiety and sleep disruption associated with the condition. But more research is needed to confirm these results and determine the best ways to use cannabis for these effects. 

If you’re curious about using cannabis for your own ADHD, always consult with a cannabis-specializing doctor.