A new study published in Clinical Rheumatology reports that patients with fibromyalgia experienced meaningful improvements after beginning treatment with cannabis-based medicinal products.
Researchers from Kings College London and Imperial College London reviewed outcomes for 497 adults enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry, tracking their progress for up to 18 months. Most participants were women in their mid-40s, and more than half were unemployed at the time of enrollment. The team evaluated changes in several patient-reported measures, including pain severity, anxiety, sleep quality, and general quality of life.
Across every follow-up period — at one, three, six, 12, and 18 months — patients reported improvements on all measures, with statistical significance below the p < 0.010 threshold. The data also showed that individuals using more than 25 milligrams of CBD per day, as well as those with previous experience using cannabis, were more likely to report symptom improvements on fibromyalgia-specific scales.
Nearly 46% of patients experienced at least one adverse event, totaling 2,100 events, the vast majority classified as mild or moderate. Fatigue was the most frequently reported issue.
Researchers concluded that treatment was associated with better pain, anxiety, sleep, and overall wellness, while noting that the high rate of adverse events may reflect the underlying sensitization seen in fibromyalgia.
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