Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39256884›Full record

ArticleJournal of cannabis research2024

Changes in health-related quality of life over the first three months of medical marijuana use.

Michelle R Lent, Thomas R McCalmont, Megan M Short, Karen L Dugosh

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cannabis research, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Health-related quality of life in patients receiving medicinal cannabis: systematic review and meta-analysis of primary research findings 2015-2025.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Michelle R LentDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 4170 City Avenue, Rowland Hall Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19131, USA. michellele@pcom.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7892-1879
Thomas R McCalmontDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 4170 City Avenue, Rowland Hall Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19131, USA.
Megan M ShortDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 4170 City Avenue, Rowland Hall Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, 19131, USA.
Karen L DugoshResearch & Evaluation Group, Public Health Management Corporation, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe psychosocial impact of medical marijuana use is not yet known. This study evaluated short-term changes in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) over the first three months of medical marijuana use.

methodsThis prospective, observational, longitudinal study followed adults newly recommended for medical marijuana by a physician for any of the more than 20 qualifying medical conditions in Pennsylvania. Participants (N = 438) provided their clinical status and demographic information, and completed semi-structured interviews prior to medical marijuana initiation (baseline) and at three months. HRQoL was assessed by the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Paired-samples t-tests evaluated changes in HRQoL over time.

resultsParticipants (M age = 46.4 years [15.6]; 66.4% female) were mostly commonly referred for medical marijuana to treat anxiety disorders (61.9%) or severe chronic or intractable pain (53.6%). Participants reported rapid and significant improvements in all of the domains of HRQoL from baseline to three months after initiating medical marijuana use (physical functioning, role limitations due to physical health problems, emotional well-being, role limitations due to emotional problems, bodily pain, social functioning, energy/fatigue and general health, P < .001 for all). Age was negatively predictive of level of improvement over time for the physical functioning (P < .0001), role limitations due to physical health problems (P < .001), and pain (P < .0001) domains after controlling for baseline, with older participants displaying less improvement than younger participants.

conclusionsGains were observed in all HRQoL domains assessed after three months of medical marijuana use. In several domains, age was a significant predictor of degree of improvement.

Indexed as

Health-related quality of lifeMedical marijuanaShort Form-36

Identifiers

PMID39256884
PMCPMC11389276

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.