Medicinal Cannabis Reduces Endometriosis Pain and Improves Quality of Life
Women with endometriosis who used prescribed medicinal cannabis (CBD oil ± dried flower) reported significant pain reduction and nearly halved their quality-of-life burden scores over 12 weeks, though the study lacked a control group.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Over 12 weeks of medicinal cannabis use, overall pelvic pain scores decreased from 5.46 to 3.77, worst pain from 7.62 to 5.38, and EHP-30 total quality-of-life scores dropped from 68.77 to 37.40 — with limited adverse events reported.
Key Numbers
Overall pain: 5.46→3.77; worst pain: 7.62→5.38; EHP-30 total score: 68.77→37.40 (nearly halved); 12-week follow-up; CBD oil ± dried flower; limited adverse events
How They Did This
Prospective mixed-methods cohort study of women aged 18-50 with diagnosed endometriosis in New Zealand, prescribed CBD oil alone or with dried cannabis flower, tracking weekly pain scores and EHP-30 quality-of-life measures over 3 months plus completion interviews.
Why This Research Matters
Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women with limited treatment options, and this is among the first prospective studies to track prescribed medicinal cannabis effects on endometriosis symptoms using validated outcome measures.
The Bigger Picture
With current endometriosis treatments often providing incomplete relief with significant side effects, medicinal cannabis may represent an important addition to the treatment toolkit — but controlled trials are needed.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
No control group (cannot rule out placebo effect or natural symptom fluctuation); small sample; self-selected participants likely to be cannabis-positive; New Zealand regulatory context; 3-month duration only; mixed products used.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would a placebo-controlled trial confirm these benefits?
- ?Is CBD oil alone sufficient or does dried flower add benefit?
- ?What are the long-term effects and optimal dosing for endometriosis?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Prospective cohort with validated outcome measures provides supportive evidence, but absence of a control group and small sample significantly limit conclusions.
- Study Age:
- Published 2026; conducted in New Zealand's medicinal cannabis regulatory framework.
- Original Title:
- Perceived impact of medicinal cannabis on pelvic pain and endometriosis related symptoms in Aotearoa New Zealand: an observational cohort study.
- Published In:
- BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 26(1), 60 (2026)
- Authors:
- Henry, Claire, Cooper, Lily, Adler, Hannah(3), Sinclair, Justin, Martin, Alexander, Semprini, Alex, Mikocka-Walus, Antonina, Armour, Mike
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08333
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can cannabis help with endometriosis pain?
This study found that prescribed medicinal cannabis reduced pelvic pain scores by about 30% and nearly halved quality-of-life burden over 12 weeks, but the lack of a control group means placebo effects can't be ruled out.
What type of cannabis was used for endometriosis?
Participants were prescribed CBD oil alone or in combination with dried cannabis flower by a specialist consultant, with dosing adjusted individually over the 12-week study period.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08333APA
Henry, Claire; Cooper, Lily; Adler, Hannah; Sinclair, Justin; Martin, Alexander; Semprini, Alex; Mikocka-Walus, Antonina; Armour, Mike. (2026). Perceived impact of medicinal cannabis on pelvic pain and endometriosis related symptoms in Aotearoa New Zealand: an observational cohort study.. BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 26(1), 60. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-05189-y
MLA
Henry, Claire, et al. "Perceived impact of medicinal cannabis on pelvic pain and endometriosis related symptoms in Aotearoa New Zealand: an observational cohort study.." BMC complementary medicine and therapies, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12906-025-05189-y
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Perceived impact of medicinal cannabis on pelvic pain and en..." RTHC-08333. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/henry-2026-perceived-impact-of-medicinal
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.