Initial results from a study into the effects of medicinal cannabis on the health of people living with chronic illnesses have found that the drug significantly improves health-related quality of life, fatigue, pain, anxiety, and depression. The researchers are analyzing 12-month results to see if the effects last over the longer term.

Living with a chronic illness can considerably reduce quality of life by interfering with physical, mental and social functions. The Quality of Life Evaluation Study (QUEST) is one of the world’s largest longitudinal studies examining the effect of medicinal cannabis on the overall health-related quality of life of patients with chronic health conditions.

The Australian study, led by the University of Sydney, was supported by Little Green Pharma, which provided the medicinal cannabis, and the Health Insurance Fund of Australia (HIF), a not-for-profit private health insurance provider. The researchers are now reporting the three-month interim results of the study.

The […]