Tag: United Kingdom

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a serious mental health condition that involves intrusive, unwanted thoughts and obsessions. It also involves repetitive behaviors or compulsions that a person cannot control. OCD can significantly interfere with a patient’s daily tasks, work, and relationships.

International researchers estimate that roughly 2% of the world’s general population suffers from some level of obsessive-compulsive disorder, ranging from mild cases to severe cases. Symptoms include, but are not limited to: a “fear of contamination by dirt or germs; constant checking; repetitive, intrusive thoughts of a somatic, aggressive, or sexual nature; extreme slowness; and an inordinate concern with orderliness and symmetry.”

A team of researchers based in the United Kingdom recently examined medical cannabis use and its impact on patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. The researchers’ findings were published in the academic journal Psychoactives.

“Existing treatments may not be suitable or effective for all people with OCD, and there is increasing interest in whether these individuals may benefit from the use of cannabis-based medical products (CBMPs).” the researchers stated.

“We document the characteristics of 257 people reporting a diagnosis of OCD within Project T21, a study of medical cannabis patients, and examined whether the use of prescribed cannabinoids improves quality of life. Individuals with OCD were prescribed an average of 2.2 CBMPs, with most products classified as THC-dominant flowers.” the researchers stated about their methodology.

“Three months after initiating treatment, there were substantial improvements in quality of life (Cohen’s d = 0.48; 95% CI = 0.29–0.65), general health (Cohen’s d = 0.43; 95% CI = 0.26–0.61), mood/depression (Cohen’s d = 0.85; 95% CI = 0.65–1.04), and sleep (Cohen’s d = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.43–0.79). There was a corresponding reduction in anxiety symptoms among the subsample who completed the GAD-7 (Cohen’s d = 1.14; 95% CI = 0.84–1.44). Eight individuals (5.7%) reported a total of 14 adverse effects, with the majority of these (57%) being described as mild.” the researchers found.

“Given emerging evidence that those with OCD can benefit from CBMPs, coupled with the increased availability of these unlicensed products internationally, there is a need for more research, including clinical trials, to identify those who may benefit most from the use of these medicines.” the researchers concluded.

A growing list of peer-reviewed studies and personal medical cannabis patient testimonials demonstrates that cannabis is medicine, and it can be effectively used to treat a wide range of health conditions.

Suffering patients of one serious health condition in particular, epilepsy, seem to greatly benefit from the incorporation of medical cannabis therapies in treatment regimens. Epilepsy patients from around the globe have reportedly experienced dramatic improvements following medical cannabis use.

A team of researchers in the United Kingdom recently conducted a study involving patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy and medical cannabis, and the results of their research found that the patients experienced significant improvements. Below is more information about the study via a news release from NORML:

London, United Kingdom: Patients with refractory epilepsy report sustained improvements in their symptoms following the use of medical cannabis preparations, according to observational data published in the journal Brain and Behavior.

British investigators assessed the use of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) in a cohort of 134 patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy. (British health care providers may prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Patients’ outcomes were assessed at one, three, and six months.

Medical cannabis treatment was associated with improvements in patient‐reported epilepsy‐specific outcomes, alongside improvements in anxiety, sleep quality, and health-related quality of life. Over 96 percent of study subjects reported no adverse events from cannabis treatment.

“Treatment with CBMPs was associated with an improvement in both epilepsy‐specific and general HRQoL [health-related quality of life] outcomes at one, three, and six months,” the study’s authors concluded. “This study shows the promising potential of CBMPs as an adjunctive treatment option in the management of TRE [treatment-resistant epilepsy.]”

In 2018, regulators at the US Food and Drug Administration granted market approval to Epidiolex, a prescription medicine containing a standardized formulation of plant-derived cannabidiol (CBD) for the treatment of two rare forms of epilepsy: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.

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

Full text of the study, “UK Medical Cannabis Registry: A clinical outcomes analysis for epilepsy,” appears in Brain and Behavior. Additional information on cannabis and epilepsy is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.

International health researchers estimate that roughly 4% of the world’s total population suffers from some form of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is one of the most common mental health conditions around the globe.

PTSD is typically treated via several different therapies, with common examples including different types of trauma-focused psychotherapy as well as pharmaceutical medications. Many of the pharmaceutical medications commonly used to treat PTSD can yield undesirable side effects.

A recent study conducted in the United Kingdom examined medical cannabis therapies and PTSD, with the researchers finding that the study’s subjects experienced sustained improvements following medical cannabis use. Below is more information about the study and its results via a news release from NORML:

London, United Kingdom: Patients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress experience significant long-term benefits following their use of medical cannabis preparations, according to data published in the journal Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics.

British researchers assessed changes in patients’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following the use of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs). (British health care providers may prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Two hundred and sixty-nine patients with post-traumatic stress enrolled in the United Kingdom’s  Medical Cannabis Registry were enrolled in the trial. Participants’ symptoms were assessed at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 18 months.

Consistent with other observational studies, “significant improvements in post-traumatic stress symptoms, anxiety, sleep quality, and HRQoL were observed at all follow-up points.” Symptomatic improvements were sustained for the entire study period (18 months).

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

Full text of the study, “UK Medical Cannabis Registry: An updated clinical outcomes analysis of patients with post-traumatic stress disorder,” appears in Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics. Additional information on cannabis and post-traumatic stress is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.

Hypermobility disorders are serious health conditions involving excessive joint flexibility and instability. Examples include hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD). The conditions often involve the patient suffering from pain, injuries, and other symptoms.

According to researchers affiliated with the University of Edinburgh, “General Joint Hypermobility is a common condition found in 2–57% of the population.” For Ehlers-Danlos syndrome specifically, the rate is about 1 in 5000 people.

A separate team of researchers based in the United Kingdom recently conducted a study examining patients diagnosed with hypermobility disorders and their use of medical cannabis therapies. Below is more information about the research and its results via a news release from NORML:

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.