According to the study, “there is a growing body of literature supporting the efficacy of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs).” Despite an increase in prescribing globally, “there is a paucity of high-quality clinical data on the efficacy of CBMPs for many conditions.”
This study “aims to detail the changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and associated clinical safety in patients prescribed CBMPs for any clinical indication from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry (UKMCR).”
For the study, an uncontrolled prospective case series of the UKMCR was analyzed. Primary outcomes included change from baseline in patient-reported outcome measures collected across all patients (the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale [GAD-7], EQ-5D-5L, and Sleep Quality Scale [SQS]) at 1, 3, and 6 months. Secondary outcomes included the self-reported incidence and severity of adverse events.
According to researchers, “Three hundred twelve patients were included in the final analysis, with a mean age of 44.8. The most common primary diagnoses were chronic pain of undefined etiology (n=102, 32.7%), neuropathic pain (n=43, 13.8%), and fibromyalgia (n=31, 9.9%).”
Before enrolment, 112 (35.9%) patients consumed cannabis daily. The median cannabidiol and (-)-trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol doses prescribed at baseline were 20.0 mg (0.0-510.0 mg) and 3.0 mg (0.0-660.0 mg), respectively.
Researchers conclude by stating that “This study demonstrated CBMP treatment to be associated with a relatively low incidence of severe adverse events in the medium-term. Positive changes following treatment were observed in general, as well as anxiety and sleep-specific, HRQoL outcomes.”
For more information on this study, click here.