How we evaluate cannabis evidence

Section 1

The six-axis evidence model

Cannabis evidence is not one-dimensional. A claim like “cannabis helps anxiety” fails because it ignores five conditioning axes that determine whether the claim actually applies to a given person, product, and outcome:

• Population — age, sex, condition severity, baseline neurodivergence.
• Product — CBD-rich, balanced THC:CBD, THC-dominant, concentrate.
• Route — oral, inhaled, sublingual, topical.
• Potency — low <10% THC, medium 10–20%, high >20%, concentrate >50%.
• Frequency — yearly, monthly, weekly, daily.
• Outcome — specific symptom or measure, not a diagnosis category.

When CannaIQ states that evidence is “moderate” or “limited” or “risk-signal,” those tiers are conditional on these axes. The same intervention can be moderate evidence in one population and insufficient in another.

Section 2

Evidence tier definitions

Section 3

Sources we cite

• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS 2017) — historical anchor for cannabis evidence categorization.
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ 2025) — living systematic review on cannabis for chronic pain.
• Canadian ADHD Resource Alliance (CADDRA 2024) — position statement on cannabis and ADHD.
• VA/DoD Clinical Practice Guideline (2023) — PTSD treatment recommendations including cannabis.
• Lancet Psychiatry (2026) — meta-analysis of cannabinoid psychiatric outcomes.
• Centers for Disease Control (CDC 2024) — public health summary on cannabis.
• JAMA Psychiatry — high-potency cannabis adolescent risk studies.
• Scientific Reports — adult autistic cannabis use observational data.
• Lower-Risk Cannabis Use Guidelines (Fischer et al, 2022).

Section 4

What this platform will not do

• We do not state that cannabis “treats” or “cures” any condition. Cannabis is a complex set of compounds with conditional effects.
• We do not present pediatric evidence as adult evidence. Most autism cannabis evidence is pediatric and CBD-rich; we say so where it appears.
• We do not present CBD evidence as cannabis evidence, or vice versa. The pharmacology, side effect profile, and legal status differ.
• We do not state that frequency does not matter. Yearly, monthly, weekly, and daily use have markedly different risk profiles for cannabis use disorder.
• We do not state that potency does not matter. High-potency THC and concentrates carry distinct risk signals especially in adolescents and people with psychosis vulnerability.

Section 5

Where evidence is preliminary, we say so

On every cluster page, claims are tagged with their tier. Where the evidence base is limited or emerging, the page says so explicitly. Where clinical guidelines recommend against an intervention, the page reflects that recommendation. The platform prioritizes accurate uncertainty over false confidence.

Section 6

Update cadence

Evidence on cannabis evolves. CannaIQ's clinical content is reviewed quarterly against new systematic reviews, guideline updates, and major trial results. The “evidence as of” date on each cluster page reflects the most recent review. This page documents the framework; the cluster pages document the claims.

Section 7

Limitations explicitly stated

This platform is not a substitute for medical care. Evidence-tier framing helps users calibrate confidence, not make clinical decisions. For anyone considering cannabis with active medications, pregnancy, a history of psychosis, a family history of psychotic disorders, or under age 25, the platform routes to the Safety page and recommends clinical consultation before proceeding.