What the UK’s largest active medical cannabis patient survey revealed about gastroenterological conditions

96.1% reported that their medical cannabis treatment was effective, with 97.4% also reporting improvements in their overall quality of life, and 98.7% stating they would recommend medical cannabis to someone with a similar qualifying condition.

While the extensive findings from this patient-reported data do not suggest that medical cannabis will cure gastroenterological diseases, the results definitely offer us a detailed snapshot into how legal medical cannabis prescriptions are already helping some UK patients better manage their symptoms. 

What gastroenterological patients reported after starting prescribed medical cannabis treatment

96.1% of gastroenterological patients reported their treatment as effective 

Only 3 (3.9%) of the 76 respondents reported that they did not find any symptom control whatsoever, with the overwhelming majority experiencing at least moderate improvements for their health needs. Just shy of three-quarters reported that it was either very effective or extremely effective. 

This rings true for medical cannabis treatment more generally. 

What works for one patient may not work in the same way for another, particularly when dealing with the complex and highly individualised symptoms that go hand in hand with certain gastroenterological conditions such as IBS, Crohn’s disease, or ulcerative colitis. 

97.4% reported improvements in their overall quality of life, with 80.3% reported improvements in their ability to perform daily tasks and activities

While symptom management is the main target for any treatment option for incurable conditions, the impact of chronic gastroenterological conditions usually extends much further into everyday life than physical discomfort alone. 

When you are already battling discomfort but also have issues with appetite, sleep, daily fatigue, anxiety, unexpected bowel urgency, work, travel, and general confidence, the wider quality of life impacts can add a huge weight to everyday life. 

The broader daily impact was clearly reported in the survey, with 97.4% of respondents reporting improvements in their overall quality of life after starting prescribed medical cannabis treatment. 80.3% also stated that they were better able to perform day to day tasks, like work, household and social responsibilities, and exercise. 

Most notably, more than two-thirds described thee quality of life improvements as significant rather than minor, with no patients reporting negative outcomes. 

Medical cannabis treatment was well tolerated, with 89.5% of UK gastro patients reporting no side effects 

Side effects are, of course, front of mind when starting any new treatment option. Experiencing side effects can truly ‘make or break’ how you feel about your level of care, even if the treatment is offering symptom control and/or a better quality of life. 

Within the cohort, 89.5% reported zero issues with side effects, and this almost exactly mirrors the wider data set of 1,669 patients (87.9%). When side effects were reported, they were mostly mild and well managed through discussions during follow-ups, and changes to either dosage or treatment type. 

98.7% of gastroenterological patients would recommend medical cannabis treatment to someone with a qualifying condition 

One of the more telling stats that we collected in this patient survey was whether the respondent would feel comfortable recommending Releaf medical cannabis treatment to someone with similar health issues.

With 98.7%, or 75 of the 76 in this group, responding with a resounding yes, the data is difficult to ignore. Only one patient responded with ‘Not very likely’ and zero ticked the ‘Not at all likely’ option

And as the most trusted UK medical cannabis clinic according to Trustpilot reviews (4.8 out of 5 stars from over 7500 reviews), this goes far beyond the actual prescription alone. Our world-class clinical team is made up of more than 50+ specialists covering the entire breadth of qualifying conditions. That level of clinical expertise, combined with ever-present support from our fully UK-based Patient Support team, is reflected in results such as these. 

What the survey responses tells us about medical cannabis for gastroenterological conditions in the UK 

While repetition is never the desired outcome for any of our write-ups, when data is as compelling as the above, we think it's worthy of a quick round-up:

• 96.1% reported their treatment was effective, with 72.3% rating it as either very effective or extremely effective at helping to control their symptoms

• 97.4% reported improvements in their overall quality of life, and more than two-thirds (67.1%) described those improvements as significant rather than minor

• 80.3% reported improvements in their ability to perform daily tasks and activities, from work and household responsibilities through to exercise and social life

• 89.5% reported no side effects whatsoever, with the gastroenterological cohort tolerating treatment very slightly better than the wider 1,669-patient survey average of 87.9%

• 98.7% would recommend medical cannabis treatment to someone with a similar qualifying condition, with 60.5% selecting the strongest possible response, extremely likely

• Zero patients reported a decline in quality of life, and zero patients said they would not recommend treatment at all, two of the most telling figures in the entire gastroenterological dataset

There really isn’t much else to say. 

If you are interested in whether medical cannabis treatment with Releaf may be the right fit for you and your health needs, head to our medical cannabis eligibility checker. It takes just 20 to 30 seconds to complete, it's completely cost and obligation free, and will provide you a much clearer understanding of where you stand.

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