UK Medical Cannabis Registry – what does the latest data say?

Three new research studies have been published using data from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry that demonstrate the effects of cannabis in those living with depression, childhood epilepsy and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

The Registry, which is run by Sapphire Medical Clinics, is thought to be the largest database in the UK of patients prescribed medical cannabis with over 7,500 individuals enrolled to date. 

It has received approval from the Health Research Authority in 2022 and aims to collect patient reported outcomes and safety data to help improve knowledge among healthcare professionals and the public, and ultimately inform decisions to fund medical cannabis on the NHS in the future. 

Currently, just two per cent of people with diagnosed health conditions have discussed medical cannabis as a treatment option in detail with their GP.

In all three published studies, patient outcomes demonstrate that since receiving care, patients have experienced important changes in health metrics, as well as condition-specific metrics relevant for each diagnosis.

In addition to this, analysis of safety has shown that the majority of people receiving care reported mild or moderate adverse events during treatment, which included: fatigue, dry mouth, sleepiness, reduced energy, impaired sleep, headaches, concentration impairment, nausea, and dizziness.

Dr Simon Erridge, head of research and access at Sapphire Medical Clinics, commented: “The high-quality research we have undertaken has helped us to further understand the long-term effects of medical cannabis. However, there is still a lack of clinical trial evidence and funding to conduct randomised controlled trials, which is necessary to be able to better evaluate the true treatment effect of medicinal cannabis before this medication will become available on the NHS.

“By collecting, analysing, and publishing this data we are playing our part in ensuring the UK is a leader in medical cannabis research and we are committed to providing education to healthcare professionals and patients on safe and legal access to medical cannabis.”

Here’s an overview of what the studies have found:  

Depression

Published in Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics, this study reviewed 129 patients enrolled on the UK Medical Cannabis Registry with depression, who were prompted to complete questionnaires about patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) at baseline, and after 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months.

The average age of patients was 36 years and 26% were women. The findings reveal that patients experienced improvements in depression and anxiety outcomes as well as HRQoL, and sleep quality post-treatment as early as one month after enrolment on the UK Medical Cannabis Registry.

Inflammatory bowel disease

IBD continues to rise globally, with recent reports suggesting that 1 in 200 individuals in Western countries are affected3. Although clinical trials have not shown effects on inflammation, cannabis-based medicinal products have drawn interest from around the world. 

The UK Medical Cannabis Registry’s study published in the Expert Review of Gastroenterology & Hepatology asked 76 patients to complete questionnaires at base-line, 1 month and 3 months to assess quality of life. Within this, they evaluated the severity of anxiety symptoms, quality of sleep and HRQoL. Significant benefits were observed throughout all follow-up times. Adverse events were recorded, with the most common adverse events reported being fatigue.

Children with epilepsy

Childhood epilepsy effects 7 in 1000 children in the UK. To date, there have been positive scientific findings concerning the anti-seizure effects of licensed cannabidiol isolates for childhood epilepsy patients with Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndromes, but the effectiveness and safety of unlicensed cannabis-based medicinal products have been inadequately supported by high-quality evidence.

Published in Neuropediatrics, this new study reviewed 35 children with treatment-resistant epilepsy (TRE), representing the largest analysis of its kind in Europe. To determine the change in seizure frequency, the average number of seizures per month for each patient was recorded. Patient-reported outcome measures were also collected at baseline, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months. Overall, a positive signal of improved seizure frequency was demonstrated.

These studies build on the comprehensive research that has been published from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry in the last 12 months helping the UK to lead the way in medical cannabis research. These include 12 original studies and three expert editorials published, 22 pieces of research presented at international and national conferences, and two awards from the Japanese Society of 

Healthcare professionals can register to be a free member of  The Sapphire Institute for Medical Cannabis Education, which gives access to a series of online webinars and e-learning modules on safe and legal access to medical cannabis.

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