What topics does this cannabis study cover?

This study covers research on: Pain, Inflammation.

Where was this research published?

Published in Clinical rheumatology on May 30, 2026.

Medical cannabis shows lasting pain relief in hypermobility disorders

Q: What did this research study find?

This groundbreaking 24-month UK study tracked **240 patients with hypermobility-associated chronic pain** who received cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs). The results demonstrate substantial real-world benefits: by 24 months, **approximately 60% of patients experienced clinically significant

UK Medical Cannabis Registry: an updated analysis of clinical outcomes of medicinal cannabis therapy for hypermobility-associated chronic pain.

Clinical rheumatology • May 30, 2026 • Moderately Relevant

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AI Summary

This groundbreaking 24-month UK study tracked 240 patients with hypermobility-associated chronic pain who received cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs). The results demonstrate substantial real-world benefits: by 24 months, approximately 60% of patients experienced clinically significant pain relief, with improvements measured across multiple pain scales including the Brief Pain Inventory and McGill Pain Questionnaire. Beyond pain management, patients also reported meaningful improvements in anxiety and sleep quality, addressing multiple debilitating symptoms commonly associated with hypermobility spectrum disorders and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

What makes this study particularly significant is its scale and duration—it represents the largest and longest observational study of medical cannabis in hypermobility conditions to date. Importantly, cannabis therapy was associated with reductions in opioid prescriptions at 12, 18, and 24 months, suggesting it may offer a safer alternative to traditional pain medications. The research also revealed important predictors of success: patients with poor baseline sleep quality and those already using cannabis showed the best pain improvement outcomes, which could help clinicians identify ideal candidates for this therapy.

The findings highlight both the promise and the practicality of cannabis-based medicinal products for a difficult-to-treat patient population. While adverse events were predominantly mild-to-moderate, the researchers emphasize that controlled trials are needed to fully establish causality and optimize treatment protocols. For the chronic pain community, particularly those with connective tissue disorders, these results offer meaningful real-world evidence that medical cannabis can provide sustained relief when conventional treatments fall short.

📄 Original Abstract

The primary aim of this study was to evaluate changes in pain-specific and general health-related quality of life in individuals prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) for hypermobility-associated chronic pain. The case series utilised data from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Primary outcomes were changes in Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 (SF-MPQ-2), EQ-5D-5L index value, Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Single-item Sleep Quality Scale (SQS) over 24 months. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to assess changes over time, with post hoc pairwise comparisons performed for significant findings. A total of 240 patients were analysed. Changes were observed across all patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) on repeated measures analysis of variance (p < 0.001). Post hoc pairwise comparisons for the BPI subscales, SF-MPQ-2 and Pain VAS demonstrated improvement from baseline to all subsequent timepoints (p < 0.001). By 24 months, 56.67% (n = 136) and 61.25% (n = 147) of participants reported clinically significant improvements in BPI severity and interference respectively. Clinically significant improvements were also reported for SF-MPQ-2 (47.08%, n = 113) and Pain VAS scores (60.00%, n = 144). In this real-world cohort, CBMP treatment was associated with sustained improvements in outcomes for individuals with hypermobility-associated chronic pain. These findings support the need for further controlled studies to determine causality. Key Points • This 24-month real-world study demonstrates sustained improvements in pain, anxiety, and sleep outcomes for patients with hypermobility-associated chronic pain treated with cannabis-based medicinal products, with approximately 60% achieving clinically meaningful pain reductions. • Cannabis-based medicinal products were associated with reductions in concomitant opioid prescriptions at 12, 18, and 24 months. • This represents the largest and longest-duration observational study of medical cannabis therapy specifically in hypermobility spectrum disorders and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, addressing a critical evidence gap in chronic pain management. • Adverse events were predominantly mild-to-moderate in severity, with poor baseline sleep quality and current cannabis use identified as positive predictors of pain improvement, informing patient selection and treatment optimisation.

Paper Type

📄 Research

Publication

Journal: Clinical rheumatology
Published: May 30, 2026
PMID: 42217098
DOI: 10.1007/s10067-026-08166-z

Authors (16)

Mariam Alemi Medical Cannabis Research Group, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Simon Erridge Medical Cannabis Research Group, Imperial College London, London, UK. simon.erridge12@imperial.ac.uk.
Evonne Clarke Curaleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Katy McLachlan Curaleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Ross Coomber Curaleaf Clinic, London, UK.
+11 more authors