Aurora, CO: Over one-third of patients diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) acknowledge having used cannabis for symptom management, according to data published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics. EDS is a debilitating connective tissue disorder that results in joint pain and hypermobility.
A team of investigators affiliated with the University of Colorado, School of Medicine surveyed over 500 patients with the disease. Four hundred and eight-six respondents completed the survey.
Thirty-seven percent of respondents reported having used cannabis therapeutically. Cannabis use was more prevalent among patients who reported experiencing either moderate or severe pain. Of all of the traditional and complementary therapies used by respondents, “marijuana was self-rated as most effective.”
Although EDS is listed as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis therapy in a handful of states – including Connecticut, Illinois, and New Hampshire – there exists little clinical data assessing its safety and efficacy for patients with the disease.
Full text of the study, “Use of complementary therapies for chronic pain management in patients with reported Ehlers-Danlos syndrome or hypermobility spectrum disorders,” appears in American Journal of Medical Genetics.