What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: Pain, Anxiety, Sleep, Mental Health.

Two-year UK study finds sustained relief for endometriosis pain

Q: What did this Observational Study find?

Patients reported **sustained improvements in pain, quality of life, anxiety, and sleep** through 24 months of *CBMP* treatment.

Q: Where was this research published?

Published in The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology on August 1, 2026.

Cannabis-Based Medicinal Products for Endometriosis: A 2-Year Prospective Analysis From the UK Medical Cannabis Registry.

The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology • August 1, 2026 • Observational • Highly Relevant

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AI Summary

This 2-year observational analysis followed 101 adult patients with endometriosis who were prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) through the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Compared with baseline, participants reported sustained improvements in pain severity and interference, overall pain symptoms, health-related quality of life, anxiety, and sleep at every follow-up through 24 months. These findings suggest CBMPs may help address several challenges associated with endometriosis-related pain, although the study cannot prove that cannabis caused the improvements.

Prescribed opioid burden also declined, from 19.9 ± 17.2 mg/day of oral morphine equivalents at baseline to 14.8 ± 15.9 mg/day after 24 months. 18 participants (17.8%) reported adverse events; half of the 165 reported events were mild. Fatigue, lethargy, and headache were the most frequently reported problems. For patients considering medical cannabis, the results indicate potential longer-term benefits but also underscore the need for clinical monitoring and randomized controlled trials to establish its effectiveness and safety.

💡 Key Findings

Patients reported sustained improvements in pain, quality of life, anxiety, and sleep through 24 months of CBMP treatment.

Good

70%

Mean prescribed opioid burden decreased from 19.9 ± 17.2 mg/day to 14.8 ± 15.9 mg/day in oral morphine equivalents over 24 months.

Good

70%

18 participants (17.8%) reported adverse events, with 50.9% of the 165 reported events classified as mild; fatigue, lethargy, and headache were most frequent.

Good

70%

Because this was an observational study, randomized controlled trials are still needed to establish efficacy and safety.

High

90%

📄 Original Abstract

Endometriosis affects up to 10% of biological females of reproductive age. Current treatment options are limited and often unsuitable for prolonged use. Cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) have emerged as an alternative for pain management. To analyse changes in patient-reported outcome measures (PrOMs), prescribed opioid burden, and the prevalence of adverse events (AEs) in patients prescribed CBMPs for endometriosis-associated pain. This was an observational analysis of prospectively collected data from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Biological females (≥ 18 years) with a primary diagnosis of endometriosis, enrolled ≥ 2 years prior to data extraction on 06/01/2025, were included. PrOMs and prescribed oral morphine equivalents (OME) were assessed between baseline and 1, 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. Changes from baseline were assessed by repeated-measures ANOVA and Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc pairwise t-tests. p < 0.050 was considered statistically significant. One hundred and one patients were included. Improvements from baseline were observed in BPI Severity, BPI Interference, SF-MPQ-2 Total, Pain VAS, EQ-5D-5L Index, GAD-7, and SQS at all follow-ups (p < 0.001). Mean prescribed OME decreased from 19.9 ± 17.2 mg/day at baseline to 14.8 ± 15.9 mg/day at 24 months. Eighteen participants (17.8%) reported 165 AEs, of which 84 (50.9%) were mild. The most frequent were fatigue (n = 16; 15.8%), lethargy (n = 15; 14.9%), and headache (n = 13; 12.9%). CBMP treatment was associated with sustained improvements in pain, health-related quality of life, sleep, and anxiety at 24 months, with a favourable AE profile. Randomised controlled trials are required to establish efficacy and safety.

Paper Type

👁️ Observational

Publication

Journal: The Australian & New Zealand journal of obstetrics & gynaecology
Published: August 1, 2026
PMID: 42576801
DOI: 10.1111/ajo.70173

Authors (15)

Tania Ahmed Medical Cannabis Research Group, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Simon Erridge Medical Cannabis Research Group, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Evonne Clarke Curaleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Katy McLachlan Curaleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Ross Coomber Curaleaf Clinic, London, UK.
+10 more authors

MeSH Keywords

Humans Female Endometriosis Adult Medical Marijuana Registries United Kingdom Prospective Studies Patient Reported Outcome Measures Analgesics, Opioid +5 more