Tilray’s medical cannabis division has today published a new scientific study showing significant improvements in pain, sleep and quality of life in patients over 50.
Its ‘Medical Cannabis in Older Patients Study’ comprised 299 participants over 50 who used medical cannabis under the guidance of healthcare providers.
The multi-site, prospective, observational study collected data on participant characteristics, medical cannabis use, co-medication use, and health outcomes across Canada over six months
It used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Levels questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and the Medical Cannabis and Prescription Drug Questionnaire (MCPDQ) to measure progress.
Just over 60% of participants were female, and around 90% used medical cannabis to treat chronic health conditions such as pain (60.5%), arthritis (20.5%), and insomnia (11.9%).
The study found that 45% of patients experienced clinically meaningful improvements in pain interference and sleep quality, while nearly 50% of patients reduced their use of co-medications by the end of the study period.
Quality of life improved significantly from baseline to 3 months and from baseline to 6 months.
The incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) was $25,357.20, significantly less than many traditional pharmaceuticals, making cannabis a cost-effective therapeutic option.
José Tempero, Tilray’s Medical Director, stated, “Our involvement in this initiative underscores our unwavering commitment to advancing medical research and highlights our dedication to providing products that supports the findings to the comprehensive research that bring us one step closer to unlocking the full therapeutic potential of medical cannabis, especially reinforcing its role as a treatment option for an aging population.”
