Patients prescribed medicinal cannabis in Australia maintained improvements in overall health-related quality of life (HRQL), fatigue and sleep disturbance across a one-year period, according to a study published 2 April 2025, in the open-access journal PLOS One by the University of Sydney. Anxiety, depression, insomnia and pain also improved over time for those with corresponding health conditions.
A multicentre prospective study called the QUEST initiative (QUality of life Evaluation STudy) recruited adult patients with any chronic health condition, newly prescribed medicinal cannabis oil, between November 2020 and December 2021. The researchers found that short-term improvements in overall HRQL reported at three months were maintained over a 12-month period.
People with chronic health conditions reported improvements in fatigue, pain and sleep. Patients with anxiety, depression, insomnia or chronic pain diagnoses also showed improvements in condition-specific symptoms over 12 months. Patients treated for generalised anxiety, chronic pain, insomnia and PTSD all showed improvements in HRQL. Participants with movement disorders also had improved HRQL.
