“Access to medical cannabis through a state-regulated program was associated with significantly lower rates of opioid prescriptions among adults with chronic pain, according to findings recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
The study included 204 adults enrolled in the New York State medical cannabis program, which provided monthly access to medical cannabis through a dispensary pharmacist, and 142 ultimately obtained the treatment. The data spanned from September 2018 through July 2023. Researchers measured prescription opioid receipt via mean daily dose in morphine milliequivalents (MME) and compared it with how many days’ worth of cannabis individuals were dispensed each month based on pharmacists’ reports.
After 18 months, the mean daily MME decreased by 22%, from 73 to 57.
The authors noted that instead of measuring medical cannabis exposure via its legalization status, they directly analyzed pharmacy dispensation amounts, a more accurate indicator of uptake. Randomized clinical trials are needed to see whether medical cannabis reduces opioid use, they added.”