Medical Cannabis Improves Health-Related Quality of Life With Chronic Conditions
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, April 9, 2025 -- Prescribing medical cannabis to patients with chronic health conditions may improve health-related quality of life (HRQL), as well as some specific symptoms such as pain, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, and depression, according to a study published online April 2 in PLOS ONE.
Margaret-Ann Tait, from the University of Sydney, and colleagues assessed overall HRQL, pain, fatigue, sleep, anxiety, depression, and motor function in a large real-world sample of patients prescribed medicinal cannabis. The analysis included 2,353 participants with follow-up data.
The researchers found that chronic conditions commonly treated were musculoskeletal pain (38.1 percent), neuropathic pain (23.2 percent), insomnia (23.2 percent), anxiety (22.1 percent), and mixed depressive and anxiety disorder (11.2 percent). There were clinically meaningful improvements in HRQL, patient-reported fatigue, and sleep disturbance. For participants diagnosed with chronic pain, there were clinically meaningful improvements in scores for patient-reported pain intensity and patient-reported pain interference. For those with mental health conditions, there was significant improvement in Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale anxiety and depression, but there were no motor function improvements observed for participants with movement disorders.
"Statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in overall HRQL, fatigue, and sleep disturbance were maintained over 12 months in patients prescribed medical cannabis for chronic health conditions," the authors write. "Anxiety, depression, insomnia, and pain also improved over time for those with corresponding health conditions."
Several authors disclosed ties to relevant organizations.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted April 2025
Read this next
Mindfulness Training Improved Positive Emotion Regulation in OUD
THURSDAY, May 8, 2025 -- For patients with chronic pain, opioid use disorder (OUD) is characterized by difficulties in positive emotion regulation (ER), and mindfulness training...
Changing Trends Seen in Psychotherapy in Outpatient Mental Health Care
THURSDAY, May 8, 2025 -- From 2018 to 2021, the role of psychotherapy in outpatient mental health care increased, while psychotropic medication without psychotherapy became less...
One in 10 U.S. Internal Medicine Doctors Report High Degree of Burnout
TUESDAY, May 6, 2025 -- Roughly one in 10 U.S. internal medicine physicians report a high degree of burnout, according to a study published online May 6 in the Annals of...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.