Study: Cannabis Use Associated with Health Improvements in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Fibromyalgia
Holon, Israel: Cannabis treatment is associated with quality of life improvements in patients with treatment-resistant fibromyalgia (FM), according to the results of a prospective cohort study published in the journal Pain Practice.
Israeli researchers evaluated cannabis' efficacy in a cohort of 30 patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia. All of the study's participants had previously failed to respond to conventional pharmaceutical treatments. Investigators assessed patients' quality of life, general health, and physical health following 30 days of cannabis treatment.
They determined: "Cannabis treatment ... showed a marked improvement in general quality-of-life by 1.97 points out of a 5-point score and enhanced general health by 1.83 scores. Cannabis treatment also improved the physical health domain score by 1.5 points. Further examination of the physical health subdomains showed a reduction of 1.67 points in pain and discomfort, pain and fatigue (1.57), and an improvement of 2.13 points in activities of daily living."
The authors further acknowledged that cannabis use was also associated with improvements in patients' self-esteem, mood, memory, and concentration.
"This study suggests that cannabis treatment shows short-term improvement in quality of life through its influence on pain, sleep, and physical and psychological domains," they concluded. "Further studies are still indicated to understand this potential and its long-term beneficial impact."
Survey data reports that fibromyalgia patients frequently consume cannabis for therapeutic purposes, and several recent observational trials have affirmed its safety and efficacy in this population. A recent review of the relevant literature, published in 2021, concluded, "[T]he use of cannabinoids and cannabis carries limited side effects in the treatment of FM, and they can also improve some common and debilitating symptoms associated with FM, thus making them an adequate potential treatment option, when other treatment lines have been exhausted."
Full text of the study, "The role of cannabis in treatment-resistant fibromyalgia women," appears in Pain Practice.
Pew Poll: Americans Overwhelmingly Support Legalizing Marijuana
Washington, DC: Eighty-nine percent of Americans say that marijuana ought to be legal for either medical or adult use, according to nationwide polling compiled by the Pew Research Center.
Fifty-nine percent of respondents said that cannabis should be legal for adults, while an additional 30 percent said that it should be legal explicitly for therapeutic purposes. Both findings are consistent with prior Pew polls.
Adult-use legalization was most popular among Democrats (73 percent), those ages 18 to 29 (72 percent), and African Americans (68 percent). Older respondents and Republicans were least likely to express support. By contrast, broad majorities of Republicans and older Americans favor the legalization of medical marijuana.
Survey: Headache Patients Frequently Report Benefits from Cannabis
Alberta, Canada: Patients suffering from headache disorders frequently experience relief from the use of cannabis, according to survey data published in the Canadian Journal of Neurology.
Researchers surveyed 200 patients associated with a tertiary headache clinic in Calgary regarding their use of cannabis products. (Cannabis is legal in Canada for both medical and adult use.)
Over one-third of respondents (34 percent) acknowledged currently engaging in the use of cannabis. Of these, 60 percent perceived cannabis to be effective at reducing the severity of their headaches, while 29 percent said it mitigated headache frequency. Subjects most frequently reported consuming liquid cannabis preparations or inhaling cannabis flowers.
"The findings of this survey document patient's perceived benefit of cannabinoids in the management of headache," authors reported. "The results of this exploratory survey will aid neurologists and headache specialists in understanding the current trends in use of cannabis products in more severely affected headache patients and inform treatment parameters when designing controlled studies of cannabis in this setting."
Numerous other surveys similarly report that those suffering from migraines often turn to cannabis for symptomatic relief, and many patients say that it is more effective than prescription medications. A recent literature review of 12 previously published studies involving 1,980 participants concluded that cannabis preparations likely provide for the prophylactic and abortive treatment of migraines.
Full text of the study, "Cannabinoid use in a tertiary headache clinic: A cross-sectional survey," appears in the Canadian Journal of Neurology.
Study: Cannabis Use Associated with Improved Quality of Life in Patients with Tourette Syndrome
Tel Aviv, Israel: Tourette syndrome (TS) patients' who consume cannabis products report significant improvements in their quality of life and reduce their intake of prescription medicines, according to data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
Israeli researchers assessed patients' symptoms immediately prior to and following six months of cannabis treatment. Study participants generally inhaled THC-dominant cannabis flowers, though some patients also consumed extract formulations.
Researchers reported, "A statistically significant improvement in quality of life, employment status, and [a] reduction in the number of medications was found, with a statistically significant number of patients reporting improvements in OCD and anxiety symptoms after six months of treatment." The authors also identified improvements in motor and vocal tic severity, but they acknowledged that these changes were not statistically significant.
Few patients reported experiencing adverse effects from cannabis treatment. Most commonly reported side effects were dry mouth, dizziness, and fatigue.
"Our findings suggest that medical cannabis may be an effective and safe option to improve comorbidities and quality of life in TS patients," authors concluded. "Medical cannabis effectiveness should be further evaluated in large-scale randomized clinical trials."
TS patients frequently report gaining symptomatic relief from cannabis, and several human trials have identified positive results in cohorts using either oral THC or inhaled cannabis.
Full text of the study, "Use of medical cannabis in patients with Gilles de la Tourette's Syndrome in a real-world setting, appears in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
Texas: Harker Heights Council Members Repeal Voters-Initiated Marijuana Depenalization Ordinance
Harker Heights, TX: Members of the Harker Heights (population: 34,000) City Council voted 4 to 1 to repeal a voter-initiated ordinance that sought to prohibit local law enforcement from making low-level marijuana-related arrests.
Sixty-four percent of city residents voted on election day in favor of Proposition A, which ordered local police to cease issuing citations or making arrests for misdemeanor marijuana violations. Harker Heights was one of five cities where voters approved depenalizing marijuana offenses. In May, voters in the city of Austin also approved a similar local ballot measure.
Local officials argued that the ordinance placed inappropriate burdens on police officers and conflicted with state law. Texas law defines the possession of two ounces or less of cannabis is defined as a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.
Ground Game Texas, the group that coordinated the initiative campaigns, is seeking to put the Council's decision before voters via a referendum. Doing so would allow voters the opportunity to either confirm or reject the Council's vote.
Council members in Killeen, Texas (population: 156,000) - where 70 percent of voters approved a similar ballot proposal - decided in favor of temporarily pausing the implementation of their marijuana ordinance.
Additional information is available from Ground Game Texas.
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