Patients Report Substituting Cannabis for Pain Relief Medications

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PainRelief.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response:r Most people who used cannabis to manage chronic pain said cannabis use resulted in lower use of presciprtion opioids. That was also the case for prescription non-opioids and over-the-counter pain medications. Almost no one said it increased their use of medications. 

PainRelief.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

  • The fact that patients report substituting cannabis for pain medications so much underscores the need for research on the benefits and risk of using cannabis for chronic pain. 
  • Cannabis is now an accessible treatment for chronic pain for most adults in the United States, but we do not know how safe and effective cannabis is for chronic pain. That’s because cannabis is not regulated the same way that prescription drugs are.

PainRelief.com: Is there anything else you would like to add? Any disclosures?

  • Research reported here was supported by the National Institute of Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health under award number R01DA049789. The team led by Dr. Beth McGinty with support from Elizabeth Stone. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
  • I have no industry disclosures, and other grants from the NIH, PCORI, SAMHSA/Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, CDC, and past grants from the Arnold Foundation.

Citation:

Use of Cannabis and Other Pain Treatments Among Adults With Chronic Pain in US States With Medical Cannabis Programs

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Last Updated on January 6, 2023 by PainRelief.com

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