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- Title
The use of medical cannabis in common medical conditions excluding cancer.
- Authors
Zaki, Pearl; Ganesh, Vithusha; O'Hearn, Shannon; Wolt, Amiti; Chan, Stephanie; Liying Zhang; Lam, Henry; Wan, Bo Angela; Slaven, Marissa; Shaw, Erynn; DeAngelis, Carlo; Malek, Leila; Chow, Edward; Blake, Alexia
- Abstract
The potential clinical utility of medical cannabis in the management of a wide variety of symptoms and conditions is gaining increasing attention. The present study investigated possible benefits and side effects associated with the use of cannabis in patients diagnosed with non- cancer-related conditions. All patients received cannabis from a single Canadian medical cannabis provider. 2,588 patients completed a voluntary online survey prior to the initiation of cannabis use, defined as baseline. Follow-up (FU) surveys were completed at 4 and 10 months after baseline. The survey collected information pertaining to patient demographics, medical conditions, presence and severity of symptoms, and quality of life (QOL). The most commonly reported medical conditions other than cancer were anxiety disorder (32.9%, n = 713), depression (32.6%, n = 706), sleep disorders (26.7%, n = 579), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (22.6%, n = 489), and arthritis (22.5%, n = 488). At 4-month FU, a majority of patients demonstrated improvement in all conditions: arthritis (70.0%, n = 98), anxiety (77.5%, n = 162), depression (71.6%, n = 211), sleep disorders (79.2%, n = 154) and PTSD (76.9%, n = 160), with significant improvements seen in anxiety (p = 0.0006), PTSD (p = 0.006), and sleep disorders (p = 0.0006). Reductions in symptoms and symptom severity, as well as improvement in QOL were also demonstrated at 4-month FU and remained stable from 4-month to 10-month FU. Pain severity was significantly reduced from baseline to 10-month FU (p < 0.0001). To achieve optimal patient outcomes, future studies should investigate the efficacy of medical cannabis including effects of different cannabis varieties, doses, and methods of consumption when used for various medical conditions.
- Subjects
DRUG therapy for arthritis; ANTIDEPRESSANTS; MENTAL depression; CHRONIC diseases; QUALITY of life; SLEEP disorders; SURVEYS; MEDICAL marijuana; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; THERAPEUTICS
- Publication
Journal of Pain Management, 2017, Vol 10, Issue 4, p363
- ISSN
1939-5914
- Publication type
Article