93% of Long-Term Medical Cannabis Users Say It Works for Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain | Research

The takeaway

Among 129 medical cannabis patients tracked for at least one year, 93% reported symptom improvement, 72% reported no cognitive impact, and 80% maintained stable usage patterns.

Chronic pain patients using medical cannabis, prescribing clinicians, pain management researchers

93% reported symptom improvement after 1+ year of use

What the researchers found

In a prospective survey of 129 long-term medical cannabis users with chronic musculoskeletal pain, 93.8% agreed or strongly agreed that cannabis improved their primary symptoms. 77.5% used daily or near-daily. 72.1% reported no cognitive or motor effects. 79.8% reported stable usage over 3 months with minimal dose escalation.

Why it matters

Long-term data on medical cannabis use patterns are scarce. This study provides a window into how patients actually use medical cannabis over time, including the notable finding that most report stable use without dose escalation.

The numbers in context

129 patients; 93.8% reported symptom improvement; 77.5% used daily/near-daily; 72.1% reported no cognitive impact; 79.8% stable usage; 63.6% used topical formulations; ~50% unsure of exact THC/CBD dosage.

How the study worked

Prospective study of 129 patients certified for medical cannabis in Pennsylvania for at least one year (October 2022-December 2024). Patients completed the Inventory of Medical Cannabis Use questionnaire assessing usage patterns, dosing knowledge, efficacy, and cognitive effects.

What this study cannot tell us

Self-reported outcomes without objective measures. No control group. Pennsylvania medical cannabis program may not represent other states. Survivorship bias: patients who stopped medical cannabis were not captured.

How to read the evidence

Prospective survey with self-reported outcomes, no control group, and potential survivorship bias.

When this study was published

2025 publication with data from October 2022-December 2024

The bigger picture

The finding that half of patients do not know their exact THC/CBD dosage highlights a gap between medical cannabis as prescribed medicine and how patients actually experience it. Topical formulations being most common (63.6%) suggests many pain patients prefer localized application.

Questions still open

Why are so many medical cannabis patients unsure of their dosage?
How do outcomes compare between patients who know their dosage and those who do not?

Common questions

Does medical cannabis work for chronic musculoskeletal pain long-term?

In this survey of 129 patients who used medical cannabis for at least one year, 93% reported it improved their symptoms. Most maintained stable usage without needing to increase their dose.

Does medical cannabis cause cognitive problems with long-term use?

In this study, 72% of long-term medical cannabis users reported no cognitive or motor effects. However, this was self-reported and did not include objective cognitive testing.

Read the original research

Patterns, Efficacy, and Cognitive Effects of Medical Cannabis Use in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Patients.

Cureus, 17(5), e84102

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Khak, Mohammad; Ramtin, Sina; Chung, Juliet; Ilyas, Asif M; Greis, Ari. (2025). Patterns, Efficacy, and Cognitive Effects of Medical Cannabis Use in Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain Patients.. Cureus, 17(5), e84102. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.84102