A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Medicine finds that older patients who have used medical marijuana products enjoy an improved quality of life.
Researchers based in Israel studied approximately 10,000 patients over a six-month period of time to assess their use of medical cannabis. Study subjects averaged over the age of 55 and most had a medical condition such as cancer, chronic pain, or PTSD.
Finding Relief
Overall, patients who responded to the questionnaires found that using medical marijuana was effective as part of their treatment. Over 70% of respondents experienced treatment success. According to the study, “The most improved symptoms were rage attacks (decrease of 91.5%), restlessness (89.5%), sleep disturbances (89.1%), and nausea (88.9%).”
Perhaps most importantly, patients felt that their quality of life improved significantly. The study found that, “Quality of life (QOL) was assessed both at intake and at 6 months in 4,143 patients. While only 12.9% of patients reported good QOL prior to treatment initiation, 69.9% reported good QOL at 6 months.”
The study’s authors concluded, “In this prospective study, we describe the characteristics and outcomes of approximately 10,000 patients treated with medical cannabis. Results showed high adherence, high safety with a low incidence of adverse events, and a high rate of effectiveness in the prescribed treatment, as well as a decrease in pain levels, improvement in QOL, and a reduction in the consumption of concomitant medications.”
