A 12-month medicinal cannabis study has returned what researchers are calling "incredibly promising" results, with patients reporting meaningful improvements across a broad range of health conditions.
The Quality of Life Evaluation Study (QUEST), conducted by the University of Sydney and sponsored by Little Green Pharma (LGP), monitored the health outcomes of more than 2,300 patients between November 2020 and December 2021.
Patient-reported data at the 12-month mark showed "very strong evidence" of clinically meaningful improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQL), sleep and fatigue, along with clinically meaningful reductions in anxiety, pain, depression and sleep disorders.
The study defined "clinically meaningful" as health improvements that have a "significant and important impact on a person's health and well-being" and can make a "real difference in how healthcare professionals understand or treat a medical condition".
Of the 2,353 patients who completed at least one questionnaire, 778 followed through to the end of the study and submitted the 12-month report.
Despite the attrition, researchers said the findings support and substantiate previously published data after three months of the QUEST study.
Curtin University assistant professor Richard Norman, who served as a health economics advisor for the initiative, described the outcomes as "significant".
"These 12-month, real-world results are incredibly promising and indicate that medicinal cannabis can be an effective part of a GP's toolkit when seeking to treat patients with chronic conditions which are stubbornly resistant to conventional treatment options," he said.
"They indicate that medicinal cannabis can play a role in longer term health outcomes for a range of chronic conditions rather than being seen as a band-aid solution.
"Importantly, the results appear to be robust across different health conditions ranging from pain to anxiety and sleep issues. If medicinal cannabis can be shown to help these groups, then there is likely to be knock-on effects in other areas of the person's life."
LGP, which supplied a range of products used throughout the study, said the results carry particular weight for Australian doctors because they demonstrate the effectiveness of locally grown medicinal cannabis.
"By using local products and involving local participants we are delivering highly relevant data that can confidently guide doctors in their prescribing decisions, ultimately enhancing patient care across Australia," chief executive Paul Long said.
The QUEST study also received support from insurance firm HIF, which said it has recorded a 38% rise in customers claiming for medicinal cannabis treatments.
"The fact our members continue to claim these services indicates they are likely seeing potential benefits from medicinal cannabis as a treatment option," HIF chief data and proposition officer Nikesh Hirani said.
Researchers observed that patients who completed the full 12-month questionnaire tended to be older and less likely to have anxiety, while the 391 who withdrew after only completing a baseline assessment — without providing a reason — were generally younger, male, less educated and less likely to be married than those who remained in the study.
Among the 323 participants who dropped out and provided a reason, 41% reported no therapeutic benefit, 22% had found an alternative treatment, 20% experienced unwanted side effects, and 17% found the medicine too expensive.
Women accounted for 63% of the original participant group, 37.4% held a university qualification, and more than a quarter were either unemployed, on leave or working reduced hours as a result of their health condition.
The next phase of the QUEST initiative has seen the launch of a global study, to be led by Curtin University, LGP and HIF.
Patient recruitment is currently underway for the project, which will examine whether medicinal cannabis reduces the health economic burden of chronic disease.
