A new study of hundreds of people using medical marijuana reported “rapid and significant improvements” in health-related quality of life over the first three months, according to new research led by Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM).
The study, published in the Journal of Cannabis Research, followed nearly 400 adults who were new to using medical marijuana to treat any of the more than 20 qualifying conditions in Pennsylvania. Study participants, with an average age of about 46 years old, were most commonly prescribed medical marijuana to treat anxiety disorders or “severe chronic or intractable pain.” From baseline, respondents improved in all areas of health-related quality of life that researchers evaluated, including less pain, more energy, and better emotional, social, and physical functioning.
“Little is known about what happens to individuals who use cannabis products for medicinal purposes in regard to functioning and health,” said lead author Michelle R. Lent, PhD, a professor in PCOM’s School of Professional and Applied Psychology and director of psychosocial research in the PCOM Medical Marijuana Research Program, in a press release. “This study, one of the largest to date, captured how their lives and health status changed after using these products. In the era of precision medicine, understanding which type of patient may benefit from which type of therapy is of high importance.”
Responding to semi-structured interviews after three months, participants reported significant improvements in ratings of their role limitations due to physical health and emotional problems, and in social functioning, according to the study. These gains—which the authors said “represent clinically meaningful change”—included a 20% improvement in reported pain levels, a 20% increase in social functioning, and a 15% improvement in emotional well-being. The largest gains in physical functioning and pain levels occurred in younger participants compared to older respondents.
Lent said it can be challenging for patients and providers to make decisions about whether to incorporate medical marijuana into treatment planning. Studies like these provide “evidence to support greater access to, and coverage of, medical cannabis treatments,” she said.
The research team assessed all study participants (the vast majority of whom are white and predominantly female) at three, six, nine, and 12 months. Data beyond the first three months have not yet been analyzed, and future studies will determine whether short-term gains are sustained over the first year of use.
This study was funded by Organic Remedies as part of the Academic Clinical Research Center program in Pennsylvania. Organic Remedies had no role in research design or data analysis.
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