ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science → News

Medical cannabis helps one third of chronic pain patients quit prescription opioid drugs

Herb could prove a worthy ally in our fight against opioid drugs.

Tibi PuiubyTibi Puiu
December 19, 2017
in Health, News
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

Medical marijuana is helping patients dealing with chronic pain by replacing their use of prescription drugs. These opioid drugs can be fatally dangerous when abused. They killed more people last year than guns or car accidents, causing health professionals to signal that America is deep in an opioid crisis, which is why these latest findings come as great news.

cannabis
Credit: Pixabay.

The study performed by researchers at the University of New Mexico (UNM) involved 37 patients enrolled in the New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program (MCP) and 29 participants who used opioids alone. The MCP participants used both opioids and legally supplied medical cannabis.

Ten months later, MCP participants had significantly reduced their prescription drug use. Most impressively, more than a third of the MCP patients stopped using prescription drugs altogether compared to only two percent of the non-MCP group, the authors reported in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. 

MCP participants also reported “improvements in pain reduction, quality of life, social life, activity levels, and concentration, and few side effects from using cannabis one year after enrollment.”

Although this wasn’t a randomized trial and the sample size was rather small, the UNM team concludes that medical cannabis is significantly associated with “opioid prescription cessation and reductions”, as well as “improved quality of life”.

Mean prescribed daily opioid dosage by month. Credit: PLOS One
Mean prescribed daily opioid dosage by month. Credit: PLOS One

The UNM researchers followed the patients for two whole years, including the six months during which opioid use was tracked before patient enrollment in the marijuana program. It wasn’t until months 16 through 24 that medical marijuana began to significantly displace opioids in the MCP group.

Previously, scientists at the University of Michigan reached a similar conclusion, also reporting that chronic pain patients saw a large reduction in opioid use and improved quality of life once they started using medical marijuana. Another study found that doctors working in states where medical marijuana is legal prescribe fewer opioids to patients than in those states where medical marijuana is illegal.

RelatedPosts

Strong Cannabis May Leave a Distinct Mark on DNA, May Explain Psychosis Risk
Mysterious vomiting condition tied to marijuana can be relieved by hot showers, doctors say
Young Americans are drinking less, but they’re using weed and prescription drugs more than ever before
Researchers reveal how marijuana develops pain-relief molecules 30 times stronger than Aspirin

All of these findings suggest that medical marijuana might become a worthy ally in the nation’s fight against opioid drugs. Every day, more than 90 Americans die after overdosing on opioids. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that the total “economic burden” of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including things like treatments and reduced productivity. Last month, President Trump “declared the opioid epidemic a national public health emergency.”

Tags: marijuanamedical marijuanaopioidprescription drugs

Share422TweetShare
Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. He has a B.Sc in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc in renewable energy systems.

Related Posts

Health

Largest Study of Its Kind Finds How Long-Term Cannabis Use Affects Memory

byTibi Puiu
3 months ago
Health

Cannabis may help you sleep better. But there’s a catch

byTibi Puiu
6 months ago
Science

Strong Cannabis May Leave a Distinct Mark on DNA, May Explain Psychosis Risk

byTibi Puiu
7 months ago
Health

Is cannabis addiction genetic? Scientists identify genes associated with cannabis use disorder

byTibi Puiu
1 year ago

Recent news

Scientists Blasted Human Cells With 5G Radiation and the Results Are In

May 15, 2025

Orange Cats Are Genetically Unlike Any Other Mammal and Now We Know Why

May 15, 2025

Scientists Found ‘Anti Spicy’ Compounds That Make Hot Peppers Taste Milder

May 15, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.