Haifa, Israel: Medical cannabis treatment is associated with significant improvements in patients diagnosed with treatment-resistant familial Mediterranean fever, according to a pair of case studies published in The American Journal of Case Reports. Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a genetic disorder that causes recurring episodes of high fever as well as abdominal, chest, and joint pain.
Israeli investigators reported on the efficacy of medical cannabis treatment in two patients, a 30-year-old male and a 23-year-old male. In the first subject, herbal cannabis administration was associated with "remarkable improvement in the severity of the attacks [of fever] and quality of life, including decreased abdominal, joint, and chest pain." In the second subject, cannabis inhalation was associated with "significant improvement" in chest pain and fever frequency.
Authors concluded that medical cannabis administration attenuated the severity of FMF attacks and also decreased their frequency. "Cannabis is a therapeutic option for treating the most complex patients with FMF," they determined.
For more information, contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director. Full text of the study, "Medical cannabis in treatment of resistant familial Mediterranean fever," appears in The American Journal of Case Reports.