A study from researchers at Imperial College London and Kings College London reports that people living with multiple sclerosis (MS) experienced sustained improvements in quality of life after beginning treatment with cannabis-based medicinal products, with benefits observed for up to two years.
Published in the journal Medical Cannabis and Cannabinoids and published online by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the study reviewed data from 203 patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Participants reported a wide range of MS-related symptoms, and nearly 81% had prior experience using cannabis. Researchers measured changes in MS-specific and general health metrics at multiple points through 24 months, focusing on patient-reported outcomes related to physical function, pain, sleep quality, anxiety, and overall health status.
Across follow-up visits, participants reported consistent gains on several MS Quality of Life-54 subscales, including energy levels, physical functioning, pain, health distress, and physical role limitations. Improvements were also detected in sleep quality and EQ-5D-5L scores, suggesting broader boosts in day-to-day well-being. These changes reached statistical significance at every measured interval compared to baseline, indicating steady and durable effects over time.
Safety outcomes were also tracked. Of the 203 patients, 26 reported a total of 278 adverse events, with most categorized as mild or moderate. Fatigue and increased spasticity were the most common symptoms noted, while serious adverse reactions were uncommon. Overall, researchers describe the treatment as well tolerated.
The findings offer real-world insight into how cannabis-based medicines may support symptom management for people with multiple sclerosis, particularly beyond the spasticity indication already approved for nabiximols. The authors note that while the results are encouraging, randomized controlled trials will be needed to confirm causation and strengthen the evidence base for broader clinical use.
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