Patients prescribed medicinal cannabis in Australia have experienced significant improvements in their overall health-related quality of life (HRQL), fatigue, and sleep disturbance over a one-year period, according to a recent study published in the open-access journal PLOS One. The study, conducted by Margaret-Ann Tait from The University of Sydney and colleagues, also found that anxiety, depression, insomnia, and pain showed improvement over time for patients with corresponding health conditions.
The therapeutic benefits of medicinal cannabis have been gaining attention in recent years, particularly after the discovery of the analgesic properties found in cannabis plant compounds. In response to this growing interest, advocacy groups in Australia successfully lobbied for legislative changes that allowed patients who were not responding to conventional treatments to access medicinal cannabis with a prescription from clinicians. As a result, over one million new patients in Australia have received medicinal cannabis prescriptions for more than 200 different health conditions.
The QUEST initiative (QUality of life Evaluation STudy) was a multicenter prospective study that recruited adult patients with chronic health conditions who were newly prescribed medicinal cannabis oil between November 2020 and December 2021. Follow-up data collected at 12 months aimed to determine if the improvements reported at three months would be sustained over the long term. Out of 2744 consenting participants who completed baseline assessments, 2353 also completed at least one follow-up questionnaire and were included in the analysis.
The results of the study showed that patients prescribed medicinal cannabis in Australia maintained the improvements in overall HRQL reported at three months over the course of 12 months. Individuals with chronic health conditions reported significant improvements in fatigue, pain, and sleep quality. Moreover, patients diagnosed with anxiety, depression, insomnia, or chronic pain also experienced enhancements in their condition-specific symptoms over the one-year period.
While the study did not have a control group, the findings suggest that prescribing medicinal cannabis to patients with chronic health conditions may lead to improvements in pain, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, and depression, ultimately enhancing their overall HRQL. The authors of the study believe that these results contribute to the emerging evidence base that can inform decision-making in both clinical practice and policy development.
Overall, the study provides promising news for patients who have not responded well to conventional medicines for their conditions. As research into the therapeutic benefits of medicinal cannabis continues to grow, these findings support the use of medicinal cannabis as a potential treatment option for individuals with chronic health conditions.
