The data of the study show an significant impact of THC on survival in ambulatory palliative care patients which survive the prescription by at least 7 days and use more than 4.7 mg/day. Median survival time was prolonged by 15 days in what is probably the most suitable patient group (cohort 2) – from survival time of 25 days without THC therapy to 40 days with a daily THC dose higher than 4.7 mg per day. This prolongation by more than 2 weeks can be considered substantial. In addition to mere survival, patients with THC become more mentally and physically active, which is also in accordance with the pharmacological effects of THC and other cannabinoids. The increased activity and improved quality of life might enable the patients to renew social contact with relatives and friends and to settle essential affairs before dying.

This impact on survival could not be found in the group of patients with a THC dose less than 4.7 mg per day, and this demonstrates a dose-response effect of THC on survival. This low dose corresponds to 6 drops of 0.8 mg each of THC, or less than one tablet with 5 mg per day. The median dose in the group with a higher dose was 7.2 mg/day, but this is still substantially lower than 15 mg/day, which is the average dosage for non-palliative patients with chronic pain or other indications.

Moreover, the German Society for Palliative Medicine recommends between 5 and 160 mg THC per day to increase appetite [13]. For pain therapy, a daily dosage of up to 30 mg THC is recommended.