A new study, published in the Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy, evaluated the effects of medical marijuana on 96 patients over the course of the yearlong observational study, with measurements of pain, depression, anxiety and sleep problems taken at three, six and 12 months.
Per the study findings, “We found that the use of medical cannabis was associated with reduced pain during the first 6 months and improved mental well-being over 12 months,” wrote authors, from the University of Melbourne in Australia. “Patients reported not only less pain but also experienced reduced interference from pain in their daily functions. Furthermore, they reported decreased use of pain medications and a large proportion felt that their pain symptoms had significantly improved, as reflected in their reported changes in the severity of pain.”
Per the study, Chronic pain and mental health issues like depression and anxiety significantly contribute to disease burden in Western countries. While cannabinoids are suggested to have analgesic, anxiolytic and antidepressant properties, evidence, especially for long-term use, is inconclusive. This 12-month observational study evaluated the effects of prescribed medicinal cannabis for 96 patients suffering from pain, as well as sleep disturbances, depression and anxiety. Treatment outcomes for pain, depression, anxiety and sleep problems were assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months using validated instruments. Significant reductions were observed in pain scores and the interference of pain on daily functions, alongside improvements in mental health and sleep. Many patients reported notable improvements in pain severity and reduced use of pain medications in the first 6 months, with a decline at 12 months. Additionally, sustained improvements in depression, anxiety, stress and sleep were observed, with about half reporting substantial improvement. Adverse effects were common but mostly mild or moderate, most commonly dry mouth and sleepiness. These results show that prescribed medicinal cannabis treatment is associated with improvements in chronic pain and mental health symptoms, such as depression, anxiety and stress. However, findings also suggest reduced effectiveness with longer-term use, emphasizing the need for additional research.
The study analysis also identified improvements in aspects of depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances following the commencement of prescribed medicinal cannabis. This included sustained decreases in the DASS-21 depression, anxiety and stress subscales across the 12-month study period and corresponding sustained reductions in SAS distress scores associated with depression, as well as anxiety for the initial 6 months only. Distress caused by sleep problems showed improvements that were sustained through to the end of the study. Around a third to half of patients demonstrated reductions in the use of medications related to depression, anxiety and sleep during the initial 6 months. Concurrently, around half reported significant symptom alleviation for depression and anxiety, and around two-thirds for sleep-related symptoms that persisted throughout the study. While there was a trend of diminished change in both reduced medication use and patient perceived change in depression, the DASS-21 depression score itself showed sustained improvement. The medium to large effect sizes for pain severity and mental health outcomes indicate the potential therapeutic properties of medicinal cannabis in improving mental well-being alongside physical health.
In terms of reductions in conventional pain medications, the greatest reduction was similarly seen at the midpoint in the study, with effects seeming to lessen in the latter half of the study. But even after 12 months, more than half (55 percent) of participants reported decreases in prescription pain medication use, while nearly half (45 percent) said they were taking less over the counter pain medication.
