Plant-derived cannabis oils with balanced ratios of THC and CBD are generally safe and effective for patients with neurological diseases. These findings are based on observational trial data in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, reports NORML.
Australian researchers examined the sustained use of marijuana extracts in 157 patients with treatment-resistant neurological, musculoskeletal, autoimmune, or anti-inflammatory disorders. (Under Australian law, physicians may only authorize medical cannabis to patients unresponsive to conventional prescription treatments.)
Investigators reported patients age 65 or older and/or those suffering from neurological disorders, perceived the greatest benefits from cannabis therapy. Conditions helped include Parkinson’s disease, peripheral neuropathy, and multiple sclerosis, reports NORML. Their findings are consistent with those of several other studies reporting quality of life benefits among older patients consuming marijuana.
Subjects were most likely to report cannabis to be effective for improving sleep and for reducing pain. These findings that are consistent with other studies, reports NORML. By contrast, patients suffering from spondylosis were least likely to perceive benefits from marijuana therapy.
“This retrospective medical record review describes the population characteristics of patients using medicinal cannabis at a clinic in Sydney, Australia and provides data on the effectiveness and safety of medicinal cannabis treatment on patient conditions and indications,” authors concluded. “[Its findings] indicate that medicinal cannabis, in a balanced formulation, may address a variety of non-cancer conditions and indications concurrently and can be safely prescribed by a medical doctor.”
The study, “A retrospective medical record review of adults with non-cancer diagnoses prescribed medical cannabis,” appears in the Journal of Clinical Medicine. Additional information on marijuana use among older populations is available from NORML Fact Sheet ‘Cannabis Use by Older Populations.’
