Tel Aviv, Israel: Patients with Tourette syndrome (TS) report that cannabis inhalation is associated with sustained improvements in their symptoms, according to data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.
Israeli researchers assessed the long-term use of cannabis in 25 patients suffering from Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome. On average, patients in the study consumed cannabis for a period of four years, with some participants having used cannabis for up to nine years.
Patients reported sustained benefits in the management of TS and other comorbidities. Most subjects gradually increased their daily THC intake over time.
“Patients using MC [medical cannabis] reported an average 75 percent tic reduction compared with baseline,” authors determined. “A significant effect on comorbid conditions was [also] noted,” with 92 percent of subjects reporting reduced restlessness, 88 percent reporting improved mood, 84 percent reporting better sleep, and 75 percent reporting reduced anxiety.”
Authors concluded: “A subset of people with GTS report long-term significant benefit from continuous MC use with no disturbing side effects; however, they required escalating doses of THC over the years. Additional studies are required to test for objective improvement and for biological reasons that may explain dose escalation.”
Separate data published earlier this year reported that TS patients exhibit short-term improvements in their health-related quality of life as well as reductions in their use of prescription medications following cannabis treatment
Full text of the study, “Licensed medical cannabis use in Gilles de la Tourette syndrome: A retrospective long-term follow-up,” appears in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. Additional information on cannabinoids and TS is available from NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis and Cannabinoids.