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The use of plant-derived cannabis extracts is associated with health-related quality of life improvements in patients suffering from pain, fatigue, and other chronic conditions, according to observational trial data published in the journal PLOS One.
Australian investigators assessed the efficacy of cannabinoid extracts in a cohort of 2,300+ patients authorized to use medical cannabis. (Under Australian law, physicians may authorize cannabis products to patients unresponsive to conventional prescription treatments.) Study participants consumed extracts containing varying percentages of THC and CBD for three months.
Consistent with the results of other large-scale observational studies, researchers reported clinically meaningful improvements following cannabis treatment.
“This study found [that] overall HRQL [health-related quality of life] improved over 3-months in patients accessing prescribed MC [medicinal cannabis] in Australia,” authors reported. “Results showed both statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in overall HRQL and fatigue for people with chronic health conditions. Similar improvements were found in pain scores for participants with chronic pain; depression scores for patients with depression; and anxiety scores in patients with anxiety.”
They concluded: “Our findings suggest that prescribing MC in clinical practice may alleviate symptoms of pain, fatigue, anxiety, and depression in patients with chronic health conditions and improve overall HRQL. … The findings from this study contribute to the ongoing evidence for decision making both in clinical practice and at policy level.”
Full text of the study, “Health-related quality of life in patients accessing medicinal cannabis in Australia: The QUEST initiative results of a 3-month follow-up observational study,” appears in PLOS One.
