A study of adult autism patients registered with UK Medical Cannabis Registry has indicated patients are generally experiencing an improvement in quality of life.
The UK Medical Cannabis Registry is a database designed to collate outcomes on prescribing. It captures data including prescribed formulations, adverse events and patient-reported outcomes, with the data made available on request to the medical community for analysis. The Registry is operated by Sapphire Medical Clinics.
In Sapphire’s latest study based on the self-reported outcomes of 74 patients with ASD, significant improvements were seen in health-related quality of life, as well as anxiety and sleep at 1 and 3 months. Sustained positive changes were observed in the EQ-5D-5L and SQS at 6 months
The EQ-5D-5L scale is a measurement of five factors: mobility, ability to self-care, ability to undertake usual activities, and the degree of pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression.
Where adverse events were present (14 participants), they were commonly mild or moderate rather than severe. There were no life-threatening or disabling adverse events.
In terms of dosing, 48.6% participants were prescribed dried flower, 21.6% oral/sublingual preparations and 29.7% were prescribed both. The median prescribed CBD dose per day at the date of extraction was 10.0 mg, while the median THC dose was 112.5 mg per day.
According to Sapphire Medical Clinics, the study was – to the best of its knowledge – the first observational study of its kind focusing on the impact on adults with ASD who were receiving care at a medical cannabis clinic.
Commenting on the results, consultant psychiatrist at Sapphire Medical Clinics and a senior author on the study Dr James Rucker said:
“These findings present a significant step forward for research in this area, although they form only the first step in a longer and more rigorous process of evaluation. ”
Results of the study have been published in the Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology (TPP) Journal and can be viewed in full here.
According to the British Medical Association,
