Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42217098›Full record

ArticleClinical rheumatology2026

UK Medical Cannabis Registry: an updated analysis of clinical outcomes of medicinal cannabis therapy for hypermobility-associated chronic pain.

Mariam Alemi, Simon Erridge, Evonne Clarke, Katy McLachlan, Ross Coomber, Shelley Barnes, Alia Darweish Medniuk, Rahul Guru, Wendy Holden, Mohammed Sajad and 6 more

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Article in Clinical rheumatology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

16 authors.

Mariam AlemiMedical Cannabis Research Group, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Simon ErridgeMedical Cannabis Research Group, Imperial College London, London, UK. simon.erridge12@imperial.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5871-6501
Evonne ClarkeCuraleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Katy McLachlanCuraleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Ross CoomberCuraleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Shelley BarnesCuraleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Alia Darweish MedniukCuraleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Rahul GuruCuraleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Wendy HoldenCuraleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Mohammed SajadCuraleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Robert SearleCuraleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Azfer UsmaniCuraleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Sanjay VarmaCuraleaf Clinic, London, UK.
James J RuckerCuraleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Michael PlattCuraleaf Clinic, London, UK.
Mikael H SodergrenMedical Cannabis Research Group, Imperial College London, London, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

INTRODUCTION/

objectiveThe primary aim of this study was to evaluate changes in pain-specific and general health-related quality of life in individuals prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) for hypermobility-associated chronic pain.

methodsThe case series utilised data from the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. Primary outcomes were changes in Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire-2 (SF-MPQ-2), EQ-5D-5L index value, Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Single-item Sleep Quality Scale (SQS) over 24 months. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to assess changes over time, with post hoc pairwise comparisons performed for significant findings.

resultsA total of 240 patients were analysed. Changes were observed across all patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) on repeated measures analysis of variance (p < 0.001). Post hoc pairwise comparisons for the BPI subscales, SF-MPQ-2 and Pain VAS demonstrated improvement from baseline to all subsequent timepoints (p < 0.001). By 24 months, 56.67% (n = 136) and 61.25% (n = 147) of participants reported clinically significant improvements in BPI severity and interference respectively. Clinically significant improvements were also reported for SF-MPQ-2 (47.08%, n = 113) and Pain VAS scores (60.00%, n = 144).

conclusionIn this real-world cohort, CBMP treatment was associated with sustained improvements in outcomes for individuals with hypermobility-associated chronic pain. These findings support the need for further controlled studies to determine causality. Key Points • This 24-month real-world study demonstrates sustained improvements in pain, anxiety, and sleep outcomes for patients with hypermobility-associated chronic pain treated with cannabis-based medicinal products, with approximately 60% achieving clinically meaningful pain reductions. • Cannabis-based medicinal products were associated with reductions in concomitant opioid prescriptions at 12, 18, and 24 months. • This represents the largest and longest-duration observational study of medical cannabis therapy specifically in hypermobility spectrum disorders and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, addressing a critical evidence gap in chronic pain management. • Adverse events were predominantly mild-to-moderate in severity, with poor baseline sleep quality and current cannabis use identified as positive predictors of pain improvement, informing patient selection and treatment optimisation.

Indexed as

Chronic PainEhlers-Danlos SyndromeJoint InstabilityMedical MarijuanaAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPain MeasurementPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresQuality of LifeRegistriesTreatment OutcomeUnited KingdomMedical MarijuanaChronic painEhlers-Danlos syndromeHypermobility spectrum disordersMedical cannabisPatient-reported outcomes

Identifiers

PMID42217098
PMCPMC13341818

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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.