TOPLINE: Medical Cannabis Does Not Significantly Impact Prescription Rates of Opioids and Pain Medicines, Study Finds
A new study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has found that the availability of medical cannabis has little effect on prescription rates of opioids, nonopioid pain medicines, and other pain interventions. The research challenges the notion that legal medical cannabis can be a partial solution to the ongoing opioid overdose crisis in the United States, which claimed over 80,000 lives in 2021.
Cannabis advocates have long argued that legalized medical cannabis can help reduce dependency on prescription pain medications. However, the current research on this topic remains inconclusive. In an effort to shed light on the issue, researchers examined insurance data from 583,820 adults with chronic noncancer pain between 2010 and 2022.
The study drew from 12 states where medical cannabis is legal and 17 states where it is not legal. Researchers created a hypothetical randomized trial, using a control group that simulated prescription rates where medical cannabis was not available. The authors then evaluated prescription rates for opioids, nonopioid painkillers, and pain interventions, such as physical therapy.
The findings revealed that there was only a marginal decrease in the proportion of patients receiving any opioid prescription in states with medical cannabis, compared to the control group. Similarly, there was a slight increase in the proportion of patients receiving nonopioid prescription painkillers in states with medical cannabis. The study also noted a small decrease in the proportion of patients receiving any pain procedure in medical cannabis states compared to the control group.
“The study did not identify important effects of medical cannabis laws on receipt of opioid or nonopioid pain treatment among patients with chronic noncancer pain,” said the researchers.
The study was led by Emma E. McGinty, PhD, of Weill Cornell Medicine and was funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). However, there are limitations to consider. The investigators used a simulated, hypothetical control group based on untestable assumptions, and the data was drawn solely from insured individuals, potentially excluding uninsured populations.
The researchers’ disclosures include receiving grants and support from NIDA and the National Institute of Health (NIH). The study’s findings contribute to the ongoing debate surrounding the potential benefits and drawbacks of medical cannabis legalization in the context of pain management.
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