Study Discovers Reduced Opioid Use Among Chronic Pain Patients Using Cannabis

Translated from the site High Times

A study published last week in the journal Systematic Reviews found that chronic pain patients using Cannabis, in addition to pharmaceutical medications, showed a reduction in opioid use and required fewer emergency room visits.

To conduct the meta-analysis, researchers associated with the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona searched online databases to identify original research conducted to study the effects of medicinal Cannabis use as adjunct therapy for patients using opioids to treat non-cancer chronic pain. 

A total of 2,440 original studies were selected by the authors, who chose the full text of nine studies that qualified for inclusion in the review. The nine selected studies involved 7,222 participants with non-cancer chronic pain, many of whom were able to reduce or eliminate opioid use with medicinal Cannabis. 

The researchers documented “a much greater reduction in opioid dosage, reduction in emergency room visits, and hospitalizations for non-cancer chronic pain among medicinal Cannabis users, compared to individuals without additional use. There was a 64 to 75 percent reduction in opioid dosage for medicinal Cannabis users and a complete cessation of opioid use for non-cancer chronic pain in 32 to 59 percent of users, compared to patients without additional Cannabis use.”