Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Dr. Staci Gruber presents "Indulging a WHIM: Highlights from Novel Studies at the Women's Health Initiative at MIND" at CannMed 2026, covering women's health cannabis, WHIM, and CBD clinical trial.
Given decreased stigma and growing popularity of cannabis, a trend for increased use among women is beginning to emerge, narrowing the gender gap. In particular, women frequently report cannabis use for medical purposes and often aim to address women's health-related issues specifically. The Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) program at McLean Hospital is dedicated to examining the impact of medical cannabis use overall, and through the Women's Health Initiative at MIND (WHIM), is also specifically exploring cannabis use for women's health and disorders that exclusively or disproportionately affect women.
In this presentation, Dr. Gruber shares data from several of WHIM's novel, first-of-their-kind studies, highlighting interim results from women enrolled in a proof-of-concept clinical trial of a novel, high-cannabidiol product for anxiety and mood in patients with bipolar disorder. As part of this four-week, open-label clinical trial, eligible patients complete baseline assessments of anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale) and mood (Beck Depression Inventory, Montgomery-Asberg Rating Scale). After baseline, patients self-administer the sublingual solution twice daily (target daily dose of 125mg CBD) and return for weekly follow-up assessments where clinical scales are completed and adverse events are documented. One-tailed paired t-tests examined changes between baseline and final study visits in completers to date (n=8). Interim analyses demonstrate notable improvements: self-report ratings indicate significant decreases on the BAI (-70.13%, p=.003) and BDI (-60.00%, p=.011), while clinician ratings reflect significant decreases on the HAM-A (-65.61%, p less than .001) and MADRS (-71.88%, p less than .001). The study product appears to be safe and well-tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported.
Dr. Gruber also discusses additional studies within WHIM, including a recently launched clinical trial for endometriosis as well as studies focused on other conditions that impact women. These data represent an important step forward, as the development and implementation of alternative cannabinoid-based treatments have the potential to positively impact countless women, ultimately advancing women's health equity.
Learning Objectives:
⦿ Understand the scope and describe current projects underway at the Women's Health Initiative at MIND
⦿ Identify clinical changes in patients with bipolar disorder from the very first clinical trial of a custom-formulated, broad-spectrum, high-CBD product
Dr. Staci Gruber is the Director of the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core at McLean Hospital's Brain Imaging Center and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on the application of neurocognitive models and brain imaging to characterize risk factors for substance abuse and psychiatric conditions. She has been studying the impact of recreational cannabis use on the brain for over two decades using neurocognitive, clinical assessments, and multimodal brain imaging techniques. Her work has been published in numerous peer reviewed journals and has been the basis for national and international symposia, documentaries, and news stories that have helped inform public policy.
Given the many inherent differences between recreational and medical cannabis users, Dr. Gruber launched Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) in 2014, the first program of its kind designed to clarify the long-term impact of medical cannabis use. MIND supports numerous projects addressing the impact of medical cannabis on variables including cognition, brain structure and function, clinical state, quality of life, pain, sleep, and other health-related measures. As director of MIND, Dr. Gruber was the first to assess medical cannabis patients longitudinally, the first to acquire neuroimaging data in medical cannabis patients, and served as Principal Investigator of the first clinical trial of a full-spectrum, high-CBD product, which she specifically formulated to treat anxiety. Additional novel clinical trials have been approved and are pending or currently underway.
This presentation was given at the CannMed 2026 Innovation & Collaboration Summit, held June 15-18 at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort. Visit cannmedevents.com to learn more.
Dr. Staci Gruber presents "Indulging a WHIM: Highlights from Novel Studies at the Women's Health Initiative at MIND" at CannMed 2026, covering women's health cannabis, WHIM, and CBD clinical trial.
Given decreased stigma and growing popularity of cannabis, a trend for increased use among women is beginning to emerge, narrowing the gender gap. In particular, women frequently report cannabis use for medical purposes and often aim to address women's health-related issues specifically. The Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) program at McLean Hospital is dedicated to examining the impact of medical cannabis use overall, and through the Women's Health Initiative at MIND (WHIM), is also specifically exploring cannabis use for women's health and disorders that exclusively or disproportionately affect women.
In this presentation, Dr. Gruber shares data from several of WHIM's novel, first-of-their-kind studies, highlighting interim results from women enrolled in a proof-of-concept clinical trial of a novel, high-cannabidiol product for anxiety and mood in patients with bipolar disorder. As part of this four-week, open-label clinical trial, eligible patients complete baseline assessments of anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale) and mood (Beck Depression Inventory, Montgomery-Asberg Rating Scale). After baseline, patients self-administer the sublingual solution twice daily (target daily dose of 125mg CBD) and return for weekly follow-up assessments where clinical scales are completed and adverse events are documented. One-tailed paired t-tests examined changes between baseline and final study visits in completers to date (n=8). Interim analyses demonstrate notable improvements: self-report ratings indicate significant decreases on the BAI (-70.13%, p=.003) and BDI (-60.00%, p=.011), while clinician ratings reflect significant decreases on the HAM-A (-65.61%, p less than .001) and MADRS (-71.88%, p less than .001). The study product appears to be safe and well-tolerated, with no serious adverse events reported.
Dr. Gruber also discusses additional studies within WHIM, including a recently launched clinical trial for endometriosis as well as studies focused on other conditions that impact women. These data represent an important step forward, as the development and implementation of alternative cannabinoid-based treatments have the potential to positively impact countless women, ultimately advancing women's health equity.
Learning Objectives:
⦿ Understand the scope and describe current projects underway at the Women's Health Initiative at MIND
⦿ Identify clinical changes in patients with bipolar disorder from the very first clinical trial of a custom-formulated, broad-spectrum, high-CBD product
Dr. Staci Gruber is the Director of the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core at McLean Hospital's Brain Imaging Center and an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Her research focuses on the application of neurocognitive models and brain imaging to characterize risk factors for substance abuse and psychiatric conditions. She has been studying the impact of recreational cannabis use on the brain for over two decades using neurocognitive, clinical assessments, and multimodal brain imaging techniques. Her work has been published in numerous peer reviewed journals and has been the basis for national and international symposia, documentaries, and news stories that have helped inform public policy.
Given the many inherent differences between recreational and medical cannabis users, Dr. Gruber launched Marijuana Investigations for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) in 2014, the first program of its kind designed to clarify the long-term impact of medical cannabis use. MIND supports numerous projects addressing the impact of medical cannabis on variables including cognition, brain structure and function, clinical state, quality of life, pain, sleep, and other health-related measures. As director of MIND, Dr. Gruber was the first to assess medical cannabis patients longitudinally, the first to acquire neuroimaging data in medical cannabis patients, and served as Principal Investigator of the first clinical trial of a full-spectrum, high-CBD product, which she specifically formulated to treat anxiety. Additional novel clinical trials have been approved and are pending or currently underway.
This presentation was given at the CannMed 2026 Innovation & Collaboration Summit, held June 15-18 at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort. Visit cannmedevents.com to learn more.
