THC-based drug Dronabinol cuts PTSD nightmares in German clinical trial

A ten-week double-blind study in Berlin found that the THC medication dronabinol markedly reduced nightmare frequency in PTSD patients.

In a controlled trial conducted at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 170 PTSD sufferers were randomly given either dronabinol, a prescription THC formulation, or a placebo for a period of ten weeks. The study, published in Nature Medicine, showed that patients on dronabinol experienced a pronounced reduction in nightmare intensity, with five out of six describing marked improvement and over a third reporting a complete cessation of nightmares.

The researchers emphasized that the drug’s benefit was limited to dream-related symptoms and did not alleviate other aspects of PTSD, including associated depression. Participants reported only moderate to mild adverse effects, such as dizziness, headache, or heightened appetite, and no serious safety concerns or withdrawal symptoms were observed after treatment ended. Lead investigator Prof. Stefan Röpke linked the findings to THC’s known ability to suppress REM sleep activity, which may dampen nocturnal stress responses. Further long-term safety studies are planned.