Weekly Stories, Studies, Surveys, Poll Results, Laws, etc.
Analysis: Marijuana Access Associated With Decreasing Use of Prescription Opioids
Chicago, IL: Opioid prescription rates decline following the opening of licensed marijuana retailers, according to data published in the scientific journal Cannabis.
A team of researchers affiliated with the University of Chicago and the University of Georgia assessed the relationship between the establishment of state-licensed cannabis retailers and the use of prescription painkillers. Researchers tracked opioid prescription trends, as well as prescription rates for NSAIDS and other pain medications, for 13 years.
Consistent with the findings of prior studies, investigators reported declining rates of prescription opioid use following the legalization of cannabis access. However, changes in patients’ use of NSAIDs were not statistically significant following legalization. Researchers speculated that the availability of marijuana retailers may encourage patients to switch from exclusively using opioids to concurrently using cannabis and NSAIDs to manage their pain symptoms.
“Overall, we find recreational cannabis dispensary openings are associated with a significant decrease in opioid fills among commercially insured adults in the US,” the study’s authors concluded. “Our study adds to the growing evidence of the substitutability of cannabis for opioids and non-opioid pain medications. … Importantly, this study provides evidence of potential concomitant use of cannabis and non-opioid pain medications as an alternative to opioids when individuals have easier access to legal cannabis through recreational dispensaries.”
Prior assessments have similarly linked marijuana access laws to declines in the use of other medications, including benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and sleep aids.
Full text of the study, “Recreational cannabis laws and fills of pain prescriptions in the privately insured,” appears in Cannabis.
Study: Cannabis Treatment Provides Sustained Relief for Cancer-Related Pain
London, United Kingdom: Cancer patients report less pain and improved sleep following their use of cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs), according to observational data published in the Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy.
British researchers assessed the use of botanical cannabis or oil extracts in 168 cancer patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry. (British specialists are permitted to prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients unresponsive to conventional medications.) Researchers assessed changes in patient-reported outcomes at one, three, and six months.
Patients’ use of cannabis products was “associated with improvements in all pain-specific PROMs [patient-reported outcome measures] at all follow-up periods,” investigators reported. Study participants also reported improved sleep and less anxiety. No significant adverse effects from cannabis were reported.
The study’s authors concluded: “Initiation of CBMPs is associated with improvements in pain-specific and general health-related quality of life outcomes in CP [cancer pain] patients over six months, with a relatively low incidence of mild-to-moderate AEs [adverse events] and no life-threatening AEs. … RCTs [randomized controlled trials] and longer observational case series are warranted, but this study can help inform their rollout, serving as a valuable pharmacovigilance tool for the use of CBMPs in CP, either as an alternative therapeutic option or as one part of multimodal treatment.”
Other observational studies assessing the use of cannabis products among patients enrolled in the UK Cannabis Registry have reported them to be effective for those diagnosed with anxiety, fibromyalgia, inflammatory bowel disease, post-traumatic stress, depression, migraine, multiple sclerosis, osteoarthritis, and inflammatory arthritis, among other conditions.
Full text of the study, “UK Medical Cannabis Registry: An analysis of clinical outcomes of medicinal cannabis therapy for cancer pain,” appears in the Journal of Pain & Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy.
Minnesota: Many Patients Experience “Meaningful Reductions” in Pain Following Use of Medical Cannabis
St. Paul, MN: Nearly one-third of patients enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis access program experience significant reductions in their pain symptoms within their first four months, according to data provided by the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management.
Researchers analyzed data from nearly 10,000 pain patients enrolled in the program. They reported: “Among all pain-related conditions, almost one-third (31.7 percent) of patients experiencing moderate to severe pain at enrollment saw a meaningful reduction in pain symptoms within four months of treatment. Of those patients experiencing a meaningful reduction in pain symptoms, 49.7 percent of them were able to maintain the pain reduction for an additional four months after achieving it.”
Investigators further acknowledged that many patients taking prescription pain medicines upon their enrollment in the program decreased their use of prescribed analgesics at six months.
Most subjects in the study inhaled THC-dominant botanical cannabis. The most frequently reported side effects were dry mouth, mental clouding, fatigue, and increased appetite.
A prior analysis of patients enrolled in Minnesota’s medical cannabis registry reported that those suffering from post-traumatic stress experience “substantial benefits” following cannabis therapy.
Full text of the report, “Chronic Pain Patients in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program,” is available the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management.
#cReatoR @RussellRope
Subscribe To WC Channel