Australian researchers have found a balanced THC:CBD medicinal cannabis oil to be effective in treating the debilitating effects of Tourette syndrome.
In the double-blind study, 22 adult patients with severe Tourette symptoms received both medicinal cannabis oil and a placebo over two six-week blocks.
The team found that an oral 1:1 THC:CBD formulation, titrated upwards over six weeks from a daily dose of 5mg of THC and CBD respectively up to 20 mg of each, led to a significant reduction in motor and vocal tics.
Analysis found a significant association between levels of cannabis in the bloodstream and the response to active treatment.
The authors conclude: “In severe Tourette syndrome, treatment with THC and CBD reduced tics and may reduce impairment due to tics, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder; although in some participants this was associated with slowed mentation, memory lapses, and poor concentration.”
The study was led by neuropsychiatrist and research fellow at the Wesley Research Institute and QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute Dr Philip Mosley.
The Lambert Initiative for Cannabinoid Therapeutics and Wesley Research Institute assisted with study design and execution, and analysed blood levels of cannabinoids among participants.
Co-author and academic director of the Lambert Initiative Professor Iain McGregor said: “This is such a difficult syndrome to treat. It severely impacts the quality of life of one in 100 young Australians. It is gratifying to know that our result provides strong evidence of an alternative treatment method for these patients in need.
“While there are well-known concerns about the side effects of THC on cognition and mental health, this trial demonstrates that careful dosing with THC in an oral formulation is very well tolerated in a relatively young patient group.”
Dr Mosley added: “This is the first rigorous and methodical trial of medicinal cannabis to be undertaken in a sufficiently large group of people to make definitive conclusions about its effectiveness.
“It shows that medicinal cannabis can reduce tics by a level that makes a life-changing difference for people with Tourette syndrome and their families.”
“In addition, we found that other symptoms associated with Tourette syndrome in our participants also reduced, particularly symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety.”
“Cannabis interacts with specific receptors on nerve cells in the brain that are part of the body’s own endocannabinoid system.
“Effectively, stimulation of these receptors tightens a leaky filter that now stops the involuntary movements and vocalisations from getting out and being expressed by our participants.”
Great results! We’ll done guys, this is the kind of data we need to prove what we already know, particularly with a balanced full-spectrum oil.