Wellington, New Zealand: Endometriosis patients experience decreased pain and improvements to their health-related quality of life following the medically authorized use of standardized cannabis formulations, according to observational data published in the journal BMJ Complementary Medicine and Therapies.
New Zealand investigators assessed the safety and efficacy of cannabis products in a cohort of 28 patients with endometriosis. (Medically authorized access to cannabis products is legal in New Zealand.) Study participants consumed either CBD-dominant oil extracts or CBD in combination with herbal cannabis for three months as an adjunct to their standard medications. Study subjects possessed no history of recent cannabis use before enrolling in the study.
Consistent with prior studies, cannabis therapy was associated with less pain and improved health-related quality of life.
“There was a difference between pain scores for week 1 compared to week 12 with a decrease in ‘overall’ pain from 5.46 to 3.77 and ‘worst’ pain from 7.62 to 5.38,” researchers reported. “Across the whole cohort, there was a substantial decrease in mean total EHP-30 [the Endometriosis Health Profile 30 standardized questionnaire] score from 68.77 at baseline to 37.40 after 3 months which indicates improved quality of life.”
The study’s authors concluded, “Our findings suggest that usage of medicinal cannabis had limited adverse events and resulted in a decrease in pain and improved quality of life over a 12-week period.”
Endometriosis patients enrolled in the United Kingdom’s Medical Cannabis Registry similarly report that the long-term use of cannabis preparations provides sustained symptomatic relief. In surveys, patients with endometriosis frequently acknowledge cannabis to be more effective at treating their symptoms than traditional pharmaceuticals.
Full text of the study, “Perceived impact of medicinal cannabis on pelvic pain and endometriosis related symptoms in Aotearoa New Zealand: An observational cohort study,” appears in BMJ Complementary Medicine and Therapies.