UK medical cannabis registry: an updated analysis of clinical outcomes of cannabis-based medicinal products for inflammatory bowel disease
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Background
Treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remain limited, and cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) provide promise in addressing inflammation and pain. However, long-term data on CBMP efficacy in IBD are scarce. This study examines health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes in IBD patients treated with CBMPs.
Research design and methods
Patients with IBD were identified from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Primary outcomes were changes in the short IBD questionnaire (SIBDQ), EQ-5D-5L, single-item sleep quality scale (SQS), and generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7), from baseline to 18-months after CBMP treatment started. Secondary outcomes were adverse event prevalence.
Results
Analysis of 116 patients with IBD included 94 males (81.03%) with a mean age of 39.52 ± 9.12 years. There were improvements in the SIBDQ, GAD-7, SQS, and EQ-5D-5L Index (p < 0.001). At 18-months, 30 (25.86%) patients achieved a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in the SIBDQ. Patients with severe baseline anxiety and above-median THC doses were more likely to achieve this MCID (p < 0.050). Twenty (17.24%) patients reported 155 (133.62%) adverse events.
Conclusions
CBMP treatment was associated with improvement in IBD-specific outcomes in patients and general HRQoL over 18-months. However, causation cannot be inferred. Hence, randomized controlled trials are still required.
Treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) remain limited, and cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) provide promise in addressing inflammation and pain. However, long-term data on CBMP efficacy in IBD are scarce. This study examines health-related quality of life (HRQoL) changes in IBD patients treated with CBMPs.
Research design and methods
Patients with IBD were identified from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Primary outcomes were changes in the short IBD questionnaire (SIBDQ), EQ-5D-5L, single-item sleep quality scale (SQS), and generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7), from baseline to 18-months after CBMP treatment started. Secondary outcomes were adverse event prevalence.
Results
Analysis of 116 patients with IBD included 94 males (81.03%) with a mean age of 39.52 ± 9.12 years. There were improvements in the SIBDQ, GAD-7, SQS, and EQ-5D-5L Index (p < 0.001). At 18-months, 30 (25.86%) patients achieved a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) in the SIBDQ. Patients with severe baseline anxiety and above-median THC doses were more likely to achieve this MCID (p < 0.050). Twenty (17.24%) patients reported 155 (133.62%) adverse events.
Conclusions
CBMP treatment was associated with improvement in IBD-specific outcomes in patients and general HRQoL over 18-months. However, causation cannot be inferred. Hence, randomized controlled trials are still required.
Date Issued
2024-12-01
Date Acceptance
2024-12-13
Citation
Expert Review of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 2024, 18 (12), pp.829-838
ISSN
1747-4124
Publisher
Taylor and Francis Group
Start Page
829
End Page
838
Journal / Book Title
Expert Review of Gastroenterology and Hepatology
Volume
18
Issue
12
Copyright Statement
© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/),which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.The terms on which this article has been published allow the posting of the Accepted Manuscript in a repository by the author(s) or with their consent.
Identifier
https://doi.org/10.1080/17474124.2024.2443574
Subjects
Cannabis
tetrahydrocannabinol
cannabidiol
Crohn's disease
ulcerative colitis
inflammatory bowel disease
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2025-01-09