Study: Cannabis Use Reduces Daily Use of Prescription Opioids in Chronic Pain Patients
Washington, DC — The use of medical cannabis products is associated with substantial long-term decreases in the daily use of prescription opioids among patients suffering from chronic pain, according to data published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open. Researchers affiliated with the State University of New York at Albany and with the New York State Department of Health assessed the impact of medical cannabis on opioid use patterns in a cohort of over 8,000 chronic pain patients receiving long-term opioid therapy (LOT). Subjects were studied for a period of eight months. Investigators reported that patients’ daily MME (morphine milligram intake) diminished following cannabis therapy and that this decline grew more significantly over time. “In this cohort study of patients receiving LOT, receiving MC [medical cannabis] for a longer duration was associated with reductions in opioid dosages,” they concluded . “These findings contribute robust...