Healer Webinar Discusses New Research on Medical Cannabis for Tourette Syndrome, Neuropathy, and Caregivers

Research on the therapeutic potential of cannabis continues to be published frequently across various publications. In order to explore and understand recent updates on medical cannabis, Healer, a cannabis education and product resource, provides a monthly webinar series, hosted by Dustin Sulak, DO. In the first part of this month’s Healer webinar, Dr. Sulak explores research on medical cannabis for various conditions: Tourette syndrome, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, and the wellbeing of caregivers.

THC and CBD for Tourette Syndrome and Motor Tics

The first study discussed in the webinar, “Medicinal cannabis for tics in adolescents with Tourette syndrome,” was published in BJPsych Open in July 2025. This open-label feasibility study involved 10 participants aged 12–18 years, given a dose of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol:cannabidiol ratio of 10:15 of 5 mg to 20 mg based on body weight and titrated to response to the dose. After the 85-day trial, improvements were noted in parent and clinician reports on tics, behavioral and emotional issues, and quality of life. Dr. Sulak noted the lack of control group, but did also that the results indicated a larger study would be feasible. “I think a good take home message is, if you’re going to see results, you’re going to see it in the first month,” he added. “And if you don’t see it, you might want to try something else.”

Medical Cannabis for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN)

The next topic covered was chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in the study, “Comparative Effects of THC and CBD on Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: Insights from a Large Real-World Self-Reported Dataset,” which was published in Biomedicines in August 2025. Data from “Tikun Olam,” a cannabis provider in Israel was analyzed, examining 751 patient reported outcomes after six months of various cannabis formulations. Significant reductions in CIPN symptoms and improvements in quality of life and activities of daily living were seen in both the high THC group and the high CBD group. Dr. Sulak noted animal data suggesting that cannabis given before nerve injury occurs can attenuate the degree of injury. “Is this actually modifying the underlying condition, or is it just providing pain relief?” he suggested. “And I suspect in some cases it's helping the nerves heal based on what I've seen in my practice.”

Cannabis Use Among Caregivers

The third topic was the use of cannabis among informal care partners (ICP), potentially as a form of self-care and support mental health as a caregiver of an older adult. The study, “Taking Care of Themselves: Cannabis Use Among Informal Care Partners of Older Adults,” was published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research in September 2025. Using data from the 2019 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS), the researchers analyzed 9984 responses from caregivers aged 50 and older, determining that 2802 (28.1%) of respondents provided care to an older adult in the past year, and that ICPs were more likely to use cannabis than noncaregivers. The cannabis users were also more likely to be younger, more educated, to indicate that they had asthma, diabetes, be a smoker, have a history of illicit drug use, and were more likely to report feeling nervous. Additionally, ICPs who cared for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia were more likely to report using cannabis. The researchers suggested more studies into the potential benefits or harm of the cannabis use. Dr. Sulak also noted that the authors expected the rate of cannabis use among ICPs to rise. “The health of the caregiver is reciprocally related to the health of the person they’re caring for,” he suggested, noting the underexplored role cannabis plays in relationships.