Cannabis Products Linked to Improved Quality of Life and Reduced Opioid Use

In the United Kingdom (UK), British investigators evaluated the safety and efficacy of plant-derived cannabis products (such as, flower, oil, or a combination of both) in over 700 chronic pain patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry (1). Participants were required to possess a doctor’s authorization to access cannabis products. In this study, authors measured the efficacy of cannabis at one, three, and six months. The observational data was then published in the journal, Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics (2).

Investigators mentioned (2), “Treatment with oil-based [products], dried flowers, or a combination of both CBMPs [cannabis-based medicinal products] are associated with statistically significant improvements in pain relief and sleep quality after six months in chronic pain patients. Additionally, patients prescribed oils or both types of CBMPs experienced reduced anxiety and an improvement in their ability to perform daily activities. Patients prescribed a combination of both CBMPs recorded improvements in their self-care and mobility abilities. Collectively, this evidence signals that [the] initiation of CBMP treatment is associated with improved HRQoL [health-related quality of life].”

Also noticed in the study, researchers noticed that patients reduced their daily intake of prescription opioids, which has been acknowledged in past studies (3).

“In summary, these results suggest that both [cannabis] oils and dried flowers are associated with long-term improved HRQoL in chronic pain patients,” the researchers concluded.

Previous studies have shown cannabis to be safe and effective for patients suffering from other ailments such as, depression (4), anxiety (5), migraines (6), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (7), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (8), and many more.

To read the full text of the study, click here (9).

References

1. https://ukmedicalcannabisregistry.com.
2. https://norml.org/news/2023/04/13/study-cannabis-products-associated-with-improved-quality-of-life-reduced-opioid-use-among-chronic-pain-patients/.
3. https://norml.org/marijuana/fact-sheets/relationship-between-marijuana-and-opioids/.
4. https://norml.org/news/2023/01/05/study-cannabis-use-associated-with-improvements-in-depressive-symptoms/.
5. https://norml.org/news/2023/03/02/study-cannabis-use-effective-in-patients-diagnosed-with-chronic-pain-and-anxiety/.
6. https://norml.org/news/2023/02/09/study-cannabis-use-associated-with-symptom-improvements-in-patients-with-headache-disorders/.
7. https://norml.org/news/2022/12/15/study-cannabis-products-associated-with-quality-of-life-improvements-in-patients-with-post-traumatic-stress/.
8. https://norml.org/news/2023/01/12/study-cannabis-use-associated-with-improvements-in-patients-with-inflammatory-bowel-disease/.
9. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14737175.2023.2195551?scroll=top&needAccess=true&role=tab&aria-labelledby=full-article.