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In this health crisis linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, the public health department reminds us of the importance of hand-washing, social distancing and preventive isolation. This is why our team continues to work remotely when some of our research activities (recruitment, beginning of new studies) deemed nonessential are suspended until further notice. We would like to wish all of our participants and partners the health and courage to face this difficult period. To understand the impact of the crisis on the health of some of our participants, we invite you to listen to the report by Marie Lambert-Chan, editor in chief of Québec Science. She spoke with Didier Jutras-Aswad to discuss the reality of drug addicts in this dark period during which access to resources is restricted.

This month, our team led by Maykel and Stéphanie published a systematic review summarizing all international scientific studies evaluating the efficacy of cannabidiol as an antipsychotic in people with psychotic disorders. Among the eight studies identified, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that the treatment was effective. In addition, the number of powerful and high-quality randomized studies is lacking. This is important since the antipsychotic virtues of cannabidiol have been widely disseminated in the media since the legalization of cannabis in Canada and the United States, and sometimes without proofs. This study therefore warns healthcare professionals and patients that the evidence is neither final nor rigorous enough to promote the use of this treatment, which is still experimental in the clinic, in psychotic patients. You can read the article published in Psychiatry Research here.