A new study of medical marijuana for chronic pain was recently published in the journal Pain Medicine. The study looked at 751 chronic pain patients who initiated medical cannabis treatment and followed them over a period of one year, with evaluations at one month, three months and twelve months. Participants consumed cannabis daily. Sixty percent of participants reported having no experience with using cannabis prior to the study.
The study found that patients treated with medical cannabis experienced improvements in pain severity and interference that was observed at the one-month follow-up and continued throughout the twelve months of the study. Patients also experienced significant decreases in headaches, fatigue, anxiety and nausea after starting treatment. Significant improvements in mental health were observed at three-month follow-up. Patients who were using prescriptions opioids at the start of the study were able to gradually reduce their dosages while still reporting significantly reduced pain by the end of the study.
The researchers concluded, “Taken together, the findings of this study add to the cumulative evidence in support of plant-based medical cannabis as a safe and effective treatment option and potential opioid medication substitute or augmentation therapy for the management of symptoms and quality of life in chronic pain patients.”
Voluntary reductions in opioid use after starting medical marijuana therapy has been reported in several other studies. A study published a year ago in the journal Annals of Pharmacotherapy looked at 77 opioid-using intractable chronic pain patients who initiated medical marijuana therapy. The patients were evaluated at baseline, three months and six months. Statistically significant decreases in opioid use were found at three and six months.
A 2017 study published online in the journal PLOS One compared 37 habitual opioid using, chronic pain patients enrolled in the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program to 29 non-enrolled patients. Over the 18-month study period there was a mean 47% reduction in opioid use in the treatment group compared to a 10.4% increase in the comparison group. Survey responses indicated improvements in pain reduction, quality of life, social life, activity levels, and concentration, and few side effects from using cannabis one year after enrollment in the medical cannabis program.
Another study published in the Journal of Pain in 2016 surveyed 244 chronic pain patients in Michigan’s medical marijuana program. The study authors concluded that “Among study participants, medical cannabis use was associated with a 64 percent decrease in opioid use, decreased number and side effects of medications, and an improved quality of life. This study suggests that many chronic pain patients are essentially substituting medical cannabis for opioids and other medications for chronic pain treatment, and finding the benefit and side effect profile of cannabis to be greater than these other classes of medications.”
These studies echo the anecdotal reports of many pain patients who have turned to medical marijuana for pain relief after using opioids. The vast majority report less pain and better quality of life after replacing some or all of their opioid medications with medical marijuana.
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Marijuana is also much safer than opioids. In over 10,000 years of use, there has never been a reported death from marijuana overdose. It is not physically addictive. Another important consideration during this time is that opioids suppress the immune system, leaving users more vulnerable to infections. Marijuana boost the immune system.
Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia now have legal medical marijuana and 10 states have legalized recreational marijuana. It’s time to make marijuana legal at the federal level and to require insurance coverage for medical use to reduce barriers to access.
Cindy Perlin, LCSW is a chronic pain survivor and the founder and CEO of the Alternative Pain Treatment Directory. She is also the author of The Truth About Chronic Pain Treatments: The Best and Worst Strategies for Becoming Pain Free. She is available for phone and web-based consults. Request one HERE
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