Beersheba, Israel: Over 90 percent of subjects enrolled in Israel’s nationwide medical cannabis program report significant improvements in pain and function, according to patient survey data presented at the Sixth International Jerusalem Conference on Health Policy.
Over 20,000 patients receive cannabis as part of the federally regulated program.
Investigators at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev surveyed demographic characteristics of patients enrolled in the program over a period of two years. Only six percent reported cannabis treatment to be ineffective. Over 99 percent of respondents said that they enrolled in the program because they had been unresponsive to conventional medical treatments.
Three-quarters of the patients reporting smoking herbal cannabis, while 21 percent consumed it via oil extracts.
Patients were most likely to report that cannabis provided relief from pain and nausea, decreased feelings of anxiety, and stimulated their appetite.
The most commonly reported side effects associated with cannabis therapy were dry mouth, hunger, and mood alteration.
For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org.