Tourette Syndrome patients report 75% reduction in tics with medical cannabis

The goal of this study was to examine the satisfaction, consumption habits, and THC dosing during long-term usage of medical cannabis (MC) in "resistant" Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome. It was published in May 2023 in the journal Cannabis & Cannabinoid Research.

They collected retrospective longitudinal data for up to 9 years (average of about 4 years) on cannabis use habits. Structured questionnaires were used in evaluating "disease characteristics and MC influence from GTS subjects being treated in the Movement Disorders Unit of the Tel-Aviv Medical Center, Israel."

It was a rather small study with 25 participants, most of them male. The vast majority (96%) took medical cannabis through inhalation via either vaporization or smoking of cannabis flower. They observed a linear increase in annual dosages of about 700mg per year per patient to maintain acceptable effectiveness.

This type of increased THC tolerance over time is consistent with anecdotal reports from many different types of patients and users. Nonetheless the results were very positive.

The authors' observations:

MC led to a subjectively reported reduction in tics (75% average reduction) and symptoms associated with common comorbidities of GTS.

MC was generally well tolerated

The article abstract is here at LiebertPub.com.