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Study: Cannabis Provides Sustained Benefits for Fibromyalgia Patients

London, United Kingdom: Patients with fibromyalgia (FM) report symptom improvements following their use of medical cannabis preparations, according to observational data published in the Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy.

British researchers assessed the use of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) consisting of either flower or oil extracts in 148 patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. (Since 2018, British specialists have been permitted to prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Researchers assessed changes in patient-reported outcomes at one, three, six, and twelve months.

“Improvements in the generalized anxiety disorder-7 questionnaire, single-item sleep quality scale, fibromyalgia symptom severity score and EQ-5D-5L Index values [a descriptive scale assessing mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression] were observed at each follow up period compared to baseline,” investigators reported.

Study participants also significantly reduced their use of prescription opioids during the trial. The most frequently reported adverse events were fatigue, headache, and dry mouth.

The study’s authors concluded: “Positive associations between initiation of CBMP therapy and decreased fibromyalgia severity were observed at all time points. … These findings are complemented by the wider literature.”

Other observational studies assessing the use of cannabis products in patients enrolled in the UK Cannabis Registry have reported them to be effective for those suffering from chronic pain, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, migraine, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Full text of the study, “Comparison of cannabis-based medicinal product formulations for fibromyalgia: A cohort study,” appears in the Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy.

Study: Prenatal Cannabis Exposure Not Associated With Elevated Rates of ADHD, Behavior Disorders in Early Adolescence

San Francisco, CA: Infants who test positive for prenatal cannabis exposure are not at higher risk of being diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or DBD (Disruptive Behavior Disorder) in early adolescence, according to data published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

Investigators affiliated with the University of California at San Francisco and Kaiser Permanente assessed the relationship between in-utero cannabis exposure and behavioral outcomes in a cohort of over 141,000 children born between 2011 and 2018. Children were followed up to a maximum age of 11.

“Maternal prenatal cannabis use was not associated with ADHD, and there was an inverse association with DBD,” researchers determined.

They added: “The data reflect offspring population-level outcomes and do not predict the outcome for any individual. Additional research is needed to tease apart the mechanisms underlying the inverse association between prenatal cannabis use and the risk of ADHD and DBD.”

The lack of association between prenatal cannabis exposure and ADHD is consistent with previous findings.

Several members of the same research team published separate studies in the Journal of the American Medical Association, finding that prenatal cannabis exposure is not positively associated with elevated rates of either childhood autism or an increased risk of early childhood developmental delays.

Studies assessing the relationship between in-utero cannabis exposure and various neonatal outcomes, such as birth weight, have historically yielded inconsistent results. However, longitudinal data suggests that cannabis exposure is not typically associated with adverse neurodevelopmental consequences in late adolescence, finding, “Although there is a theoretical potential for cannabis to interfere with neurodevelopment, human data drawn from four prospective cohorts have not identified any long-term or long-lasting meaningful differences between children exposed in utero to cannabis and those not.”

Full text of the study, “Prenatal cannabis use and offspring Attention Hyperactivity Disorder and Disruptive Behavior Disorders: A retrospective cohort study,” appears in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

Survey: Cannabis as Effective as Prescription Medicines for Treatment of Hand Pain

Chicago, IL: Patients with hand pain-related pathologies frequently turn to cannabis for pain relief, according to data published in the journal Hand.

Researchers affiliated with the University of Chicago surveyed 122 patients suffering from hand-related pain. Fifteen percent of respondents acknowledged using cannabis to manage their symptoms.

Investigators reported: “Compared with pre-usage pain scores, both cannabinoids and Rx/OTC medications induced significant reductions in pain associated with patients’ hand pathologies. … Subjectively, … cannabinoids were preferred over Rx/OTC medications by 64 percent of the cannabinoid cohort, and no respondents preferred traditional medications over cannabinoids.”

The study’s authors concluded: “Although this is a small-scale study, these findings support the idea that cannabinoids are used regularly and are effective for pain control in orthopedic hand patients. Given the variety of cannabinoids among patients surveyed, future directions include examining the formulations, ingestion methods, and potencies that most improve pain from hand pathologies. Orthopedic surgeons should continue working with their patients to find successful, safe, and personalized ways to achieve adequate pain control.”

Full text of the study, “Prevalence and effect of cannabinoids in pain management and hand pathologies,” appears in Hand. Additional information on cannabis and chronic pain is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.

Delaware: Governor Signs Legislation Providing State-Level Protections for Businesses Providing Financial Services To Licensed Cannabis Retailers

Dover, DE: Democrat Gov. John Carney has signed legislation (HB 355) into law providing state-level legal protections for financial institutions and other entities that provide financial or accounting services to licensed cannabis-related businesses.

The law stipulates that “banks, credit unions, armored car services, and providers of accounting services are not subject to prosecution under Delaware law merely by providing lawful services to licensed businesses engaged in the production, distribution and sale of cannabis.”

Lawmakers passed legislation in 2023 regulating adult-use cannabis sales. However, regulators have yet to award licenses to cannabis business applicants.

The new law does not protect banks and other institutions from potential federal litigation. Federal law currently discourages financial institutions from partnering with state-licensed cannabis businesses because of their involvement with a Schedule I controlled substance.

Federal legislation seeking to amend the law currently has 36 co-sponsors in the US Senate and 130 co-sponsors in the House, but has yet to receive a floor vote in either chamber during the current session.