Cannabis-based medicines improved tics in 85% of Tourette syndrome patients, with THC-rich strains preferred | Research

The takeaway

Among 98 Tourette syndrome patients who used cannabis-based medicines, 85% reported tic improvement of about 60%, with 93% reporting better quality of life and patients preferring THC-rich medicinal cannabis over pharmaceutical cannabinoids.

Neurologists, Tourette syndrome patients, and researchers studying cannabinoid therapeutics.

85% reported tic improvement

What the researchers found

85% reported tic improvement (about 60% reduction), 55% improved comorbidities (especially OCD, ADHD, sleep), and 93% reported better quality of life. Of those who could compare, 66% preferred medicinal cannabis, 18% dronabinol, 11% nabiximols, 5% street cannabis. Adverse events occurred in 50% but were rated tolerable.

Why it matters

Tourette syndrome treatment options are limited and often have significant side effects. This is the largest dataset to date comparing different cannabis-based medicine formulations for tics, and patient preference for THC-rich strains suggests an entourage effect.

The numbers in context

98 patients total; 85% reported tic improvement (~60% reduction); 55% improved comorbidities; 93% improved QoL; 50% had adverse events (tolerable); 66% preferred medicinal cannabis over dronabinol (18%) and nabiximols (11%).

How the study worked

Two-part study: retrospective analysis of 98 adult GTS patients who used cannabis-based medicines at a specialty clinic, plus an online survey (n=40) for more detailed data on treatment preferences and experiences.

What this study cannot tell us

Retrospective, open-label design with no control group. Subjective self-reported outcomes. Selection bias toward patients who continued treatment. Variable dosing across preparations.

How to read the evidence

Moderate: largest dataset comparing cannabis formulations for tics, but retrospective and uncontrolled.

When this study was published

Published in 2019.

The bigger picture

Patient preference for whole-plant THC-rich cannabis over pure THC preparations (dronabinol) or standardized extracts (nabiximols) adds clinical evidence to the entourage effect theory and has implications for how cannabinoid medicines should be formulated.

Questions still open

Why do patients prefer whole-plant cannabis over pharmaceutical cannabinoids? Would a controlled trial confirm the superiority of THC-rich cannabis for tics?

Common questions

Does cannabis help with Tourette syndrome?

In this study of 98 patients, 85% reported about 60% improvement in tics, and 93% reported better quality of life. Improvements in OCD, ADHD, and sleep were also reported.

Which type of cannabis works best for tics?

Patients preferred THC-rich medicinal cannabis (66%) over dronabinol (18%) and nabiximols (11%), possibly due to an entourage effect from other cannabis compounds.

Read the original research

Treatment of Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome with Cannabis-Based Medicine: Results from a Retrospective Analysis and Online Survey.

Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 4(4), 265-274

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Milosev, Leonie M; Psathakis, Nikolas; Szejko, Natalia; Jakubovski, Ewgeni; Müller-Vahl, Kirsten R. (2019). Treatment of Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome with Cannabis-Based Medicine: Results from a Retrospective Analysis and Online Survey.. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 4(4), 265-274. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2018.0050