A new observational study out of Sydney's Wolper Jewish Hospital has concluded that a balanced medicinal cannabis formulation is both safe and effective for older adults, with patients managing treatment-resistant neurological conditions reporting the greatest improvement.
The research involved a review of medical records belonging to 157 adult patients with an average age of 63, all of whom had been prescribed cannabis to address neurological, musculoskeletal, autoimmune, or anti-inflammatory conditions.
The vast majority — 133 patients — were given an oil preparation with a balanced THC-to-CBD ratio, and data was gathered across a 30-month period.
Cannabis Health News reports that more than half of all patients — 53.5% — perceived medicinal cannabis to have been beneficial.
Patients with neuropathic pain or peripheral neuropathy recorded the highest rate of perceived benefit at 66.6%, while those with nociceptive pain conditions — where the pain stems from tissue damage — such as spondylosis, were the least likely to report a positive effect.
Roughly 60% of patients living with Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis said cannabis helped them manage their symptoms. That figure dropped to just under half for those with migraine (43.8%), chronic pain syndrome (42.1%), and spondylosis (40%).
Among the symptoms assessed, sleep showed the strongest perceived improvement at 80%, followed by pain at 51.5% and muscle spasm at 50%.
The study's authors said: "This study indicates 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.
"It is recommended that patients are assessed individually to determine whether medicinal cannabis is an appropriate treatment option, considering the associated safety risks to potential therapeutic benefit."
The team called for future clinical trials to examine cannabis as a treatment for the conditions identified in the study, and specifically recommended further investigation into its effects on pain and sleep.
"Understanding how medicinal cannabis can be used in mainstream medicine is crucial as it has the potential to positively impact millions of lives around the world," the authors added.