Medical cannabis use shows improvement
Patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress experience significant long-term benefits following their use of medical cannabis preparations, according to data published in the journal “Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics.”
British researchers assessed changes in patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following the use of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs). (British health care providers may prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Two hundred and sixty-nine patients with post-traumatic stress disorder enrolled in the United Kingdom’s Medical Cannabis Registry were enrolled in the trial. Participants’ symptoms were assessed at one, three, six, 12 and 18 months.
Consistent with other observational studies, “significant improvements in post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, sleep quality, and HRQoL were observed at all follow-up points.” Symptomatic improvements were sustained for the entire study period (18 months).
Other observational studies assessing the use of cannabis products among patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry have reported them to be effective for those diagnosed with cancer-related pain, anxiety, fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, hypermobility disorders, depression, migraine, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, and inflammatory arthritis, among other conditions.
The full text of the study “UK Medical Cannabis Registry: An updated clinical outcomes analysis of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder” appears in can be found in “Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics.”
Analysis supports therapeutic cannabis use
Cannabis has a “well-established role in managing symptoms related to cancer” and there is a “substantial scientific basis” for re-evaluating its classification as a Schedule I controlled substance, according to the findings of a meta-analysis of over 10,000 scientific papers published in the journal “Frontiers in Oncology.”
Investigators affiliated with the Chopra Foundation in New York and the Whole Health Oncology Institute in Hawaii reviewed data from 10,641 peer-reviewed studies assessing the efficacy and safety of cannabis for managing cancer-related symptoms. The analysis is the largest ever conducted on the subject of cannabis and cancer management.
They reported, “Across all categories examined – health metrics, cancer treatments, and cancer dynamics – there is a consistent consensus that supports the potential of medical cannabis.”
The study’s authors concluded, “In medical practice, the strong support for cannabis as a palliative adjunct to cancer treatments offers healthcare providers a data-driven foundation to consider cannabis as part of a comprehensive cancer care strategy. The demonstrated efficacy in managing symptoms like pain, nausea, and appetite loss can significantly enhance patients’ quality of life, making cannabis a valuable tool in both palliative care and potentially in curative settings. The growing consensus around cannabis’ therapeutic benefits also highlights the need for medical professionals to stay informed about the latest research, as cannabis continues to evolve from a controversial substance to a scientifically validated treatment option.”
In an accompanying press release, the study’s lead author added, “This is one of the clearest, most dramatic validations of medical cannabis in cancer care that the scientific community has ever seen. We expected controversy. What we found was overwhelming scientific consensus.”
Full text of the study, “Meta-analysis of medical cannabis outcomes and associations with cancer,” appears in “Frontiers in Oncology.” The text can be found at frontiersin.org.
This article appears in Apr 24 – May 1, 2025.
