The 2026 LiBBY dementia trial studied only people with advanced dementia, agitation, and hospice eligibility. It did not study people with mild cognitive impairment, so its safety findings do not apply to MCI. LiBBY stands for Life's End Benefits of cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol. It tested a supervised THC plus CBD oil for agitation at the end of life, not for memory loss in early disease.
Medical information disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a physician or other qualified health professional about symptoms, medications, tests, or treatment decisions.
Table of Contents
- Who was in the study?
- What treatment did they receive?
- What changed for agitation and safety?
- Why don't these results cover MCI?
- What should people with MCI do?
Who was in the study?
Everyone enrolled had major neurocognitive disorder with clinically significant agitation and hospice eligibility. The trial record required an agitation score of 4 or higher plus hospice enrollment, very advanced function loss, or a high mortality-risk score, according to the ClinicalTrials.Veeva / NIH record in the trial record.
Participants averaged 80 years old, 55% female and 84% White. They were seen at home or in residences across 10 U.S. sites in an NIA-funded consortium study.
What treatment did they receive?
Active treatment was 2 mg THC plus 100 mg CBD twice daily for 12 weeks. It was a purified oral oil made as a pharmaceutical formulation.
This matters because dispensary edibles, smoked products, and over-the-counter CBD differ in dose and purity. The Alzheimer's Association describes LiBBY as a supervised formulation rather than retail cannabis in the Alzheimer's Association release.
What changed for agitation and safety?
Agitation scores fell 6.27 points more with THC/CBD than placebo at week two. The gap lasted through week 12, with clinician-rated improvement in 87.2% versus 23.6% on placebo, according to NeurologyLive in the NeurologyLive report.
Overall adverse events were similar, 46.7% versus 42.4%. Serious events were higher with THC/CBD, 23.3% versus 11.9%, driven by serious infections, with 8 deaths of 61 versus 3 of 59.
Why don't these results cover MCI?
Mild cognitive impairment means noticeable memory or thinking changes with largely preserved daily function. No one at that stage entered LiBBY.
Investigators judged no serious event drug-related and called them expected in an end-of-life population. A frail hospice population has a high background rate of infection, hospitalization, and death that a healthier MCI population does not share.
What should people with MCI do?
Do not use LiBBY as evidence that cannabis helps memory or is safe for MCI. The trial measured late-stage agitation only, with one dose and one product.
- Bring a complete medication and supplement list to the visit
- Describe the exact symptom you hope to treat, such as sleep, anxiety, or forgetfulness
- Ask about medical causes that can mimic MCI, including sleep apnea, depression, and medications
- Ask about proven supports: hearing care, exercise, blood-pressure control, and cognitive evaluation
- Avoid starting a dispensary product to copy the trial dose on your own
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- AAIC 2026 PROTECT-Cog Lifestyle and GLP-1 Trial: Who Was Studied and Who Was Not for People With Mild Cognitive Impairment
