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Study: Patients With Hypermobility Disorders Report Sustained Improvements Following Cannabis Treatment

London, United Kingdom: Patients suffering from hypermobility disorders report sustained symptomatic improvements following their use of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs), according to observational data published in the journal of the American College of Rheumatology, ACR Open Rheumatology.

British researchers assessed the use of botanical cannabis or oil extracts in 161 patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or similar hypermobility disorders enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. (British specialists may prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Researchers assessed changes from baseline in patient-reported outcomes at one, three, six, 12, and 18 months.

Patients reported sustained improvements in pain-specific metrics, as well as improvements in sleep and anxiety following cannabis therapy. The most reported adverse effects associated with cannabis treatment were headache and lethargy.

“This case series found improvements in perceived pain severity and interference, general HRQoL [health-related quality of life], sleep quality, and anxiety in patients with HSD [hypermobility spectrum disorder] or hEDS [hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome] after CBMP prescription,” the study’s authors concluded. “At 18 months, between 18.01 percent and 25.47 percent of individuals reported a clinically significant improvement in their pain depending on the assessment measure used. … [T]hese findings may help guide current clinical practice and shared decision‐making between patients and physicians.”

Other observational studies assessing the use of cannabis products among patients enrolled in the UK Cannabis Registry have reported them to be effective for those diagnosed with cancer-related pain, anxiety, fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, post-traumatic stress, depression, migraine, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, and inflammatory arthritis, among other conditions.

Full text of the study, “UK Medical Cannabis registry: An analysis of outcomes of medical cannabis therapy for hypermobility-associated chronic pain,” appears in ACR Open Rheumatology.

Longitudinal Study: Childhood Depression, Suicidal Ideation Precede Cannabis Use

Los Angeles, CA: Emotional problems in early childhood are predictive of teen marijuana use – particularly among females, according to longitudinal data published in the Open Journal of Medical Sciences.

Investigators affiliated with the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles assessed the relationship between early childhood depression and marijuana use by mid-adolescence. Participants’ baseline emotional problems, including feelings of hopelessness, depression, and suicide attempts, were assessed at ages 9-10. Substance outcomes (marijuana and tobacco initiation) were tracked from baseline to follow-up at ages 14-15.

Researchers reported that childhood depression and other psychological factors significantly predicted future initiation of tobacco and cannabis. This relationship was especially significant among women.

“This study underscores the significant role of childhood depression, hopelessness, and suicidality in predicting the initiation of tobacco and marijuana use during adolescence,” researchers concluded. “Childhood depression, hopelessness, and suicidality may contribute to substance use through interconnected psychological, neurobiological, and social mechanisms. … The findings [of this study] emphasize the urgent need for policies that prioritize early mental health screening and intervention. … Investing in early mental health interventions, equitable policies, and multi-level approaches is critical for breaking the cycle of mental health challenges and substance use.”

The findings are consistent with those published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, which reported that adolescents who suffered from depression are more likely to use cannabis later in life, not vice-versa.

Full text of the study, “Childhood depression, hopelessness, and suicidal attempts predict earlier tobacco and marijuana use initiation during adolescence,” appears in the Open Journal of Medical Sciences.

Analysis: Historic Drop in Alcohol Sales as Legal Cannabis Sales Spike

Ottawa, Ontario: Sales of alcohol and cannabis in Canada are on opposite trajectories, according to data provided by Statistics Canada, the national statistical agency of the Canadian government.

For the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, sales of alcoholic beverages experienced historic declines, with beer sales experiencing the largest overall decrease. In comparison, “Sales of recreational cannabis by provincial cannabis authorities and other retail outlets increased 11.6 percent or $0.5 billion from one fiscal year earlier, reaching $5.2 billion in 2023/2024.” Sales of cannabis products had previously grown nearly 16 percent in 2022/2023.

Canada legalized the adult-use marijuana market in 2018.

Separate data published in February in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reported that fewer young adults in the US acknowledge consuming alcohol following the opening of licensed marijuana retailers.

While survey data finds that many consumers acknowledge substituting marijuana for alcohol, observational data gathered from jurisdictions that have legalized cannabis is mixed – with some studies reporting dips in alcohol sales post-legalization and others reporting no significant changes at the population level.

Complete data sets are available from Statistics Canada.