New research holds promise for cannabis as treatment for Tourette’s syndrome

New research has found significant improvements in quality of life among Tourette’s patients’ consuming cannabis-based products.

Cannabis products are associated with improved quality of life and a reduction in prescription medications among patients with Tourette syndrome, new research shows.

Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological disorder, which causes a range of symptoms including vocal and motor tics. 

Some early research and anecdotal evidence has already suggested that cannabis may be an effective treatment, with it prescribed legally for the condition in countries such as the UK.

In the new study, scientists in Israel investigated the experiences of Tourette’s patients consuming medical cannabis in a real-world setting. 

The researchers assessed patients’ symptoms immediately prior to and following six months of cannabis treatment. Study participants generally inhaled THC-dominant cannabis flowers, though some patients also consumed extract formulations. 

Patients reported significant improvements in their quality of life, employment status and a reduction in their intake of prescription medicines, according to data published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

According to the paper, 67%  of patients who were also experiencing  obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) reported an improvement in these symptoms, as did 89% of patients with anxiety.

The authors also identified some improvements in the severity of patients’ motor and vocal tics but these changes were not statistically significant. 

Few patients reported experiencing side effects from the treatment, the most common of which were dry mouth, dizziness, and fatigue. 

READ MORE: Watch the incredible effect medical cannabis has on dad’s Tourette’s

The researchers stated: “A statistically significant improvement in quality of life, employment status, and [a] reduction in the number of medications was found, with a statistically significant number of patients reporting improvements in OCD and anxiety symptoms after six months of treatment.” 

They concluded: “Our findings suggest that medical cannabis may be an effective and safe option to improve comorbidities and quality of life in TS patients. Medical cannabis effectiveness should be further evaluated in large-scale randomised clinical trials.”

Previous findings on symptom management

Previous research, also from Israel, found medical cannabis to be effective in improving symptoms and quality of life in patients with Tourette’s syndrome.

Outcomes were measured using the Yale Global Tic Severity Scale (YGTSS) and Premonitory Urge for Tic Scale (PUTS), which measure the severity, frequency and interference of tics.

Following 12 weeks of treatment, researchers saw an average reduction 38% in YGTSS-Total and a 20% reduction of Premonitory Urge for Tic Scale (PUTS) scores.

A previous study conducted by the same researchers, retrospectively observed ‘a significant reduction in the number and intensity of tics’, as well as a ‘decrease in premonitory urges’ in 83% of a group of 42 patients.

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