A study of hundreds of people using medical marijuana reported "rapid and significant improvements" in health-related quality of life over the first three months, according to new research led by Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). The study, published in the Journal of Cannabis Research , followed nearly 400 adults who were new to using medical marijuana to treat any of the more than 20 qualifying conditions in Pennsylvania. Study participants, with an average age of about 46 years old, were most commonly prescribed medical marijuana to treat anxiety disorders or "severe chronic or intractable pain .
" From baseline, respondents improved in all areas of health-related quality of life that researchers evaluated, including less pain, more energy, and better emotional, social, and physical functioning. "Little is known about what happens to individuals who use cannabis products for medicinal purposes in regard to functioning and health," said lead author Michelle R. Lent, Ph.
D., a professor in PCOM's School of Professional and Applied Psychology and director of psychosocial research in the PCOM Medical Marijuana Research Program. "This study, one of the largest to date, captured how their lives and health status changed after using these products.
In the era of precision medicine, understanding which type of patient may benefit from which type of therapy is of high importance." Responding to semi-structured interviews after three months, participants reported si.