United States: Medical Cannabis Reduces Opioid Consumption
The United States has been grappling with rampant opioid consumption for several years, a scourge that has become a real headache for the authorities. However, it seems that the legalization of medical cannabis is curbing this phenomenon.
More cannabis… less opioids?
The United States has a reputation as a leader in the use of medical cannabis, particularly since its legalization in the state of Colorado in 2000. And a new element supports this provision.
According to a survey conducted in the United States on a panel of 4.8 million people residing in states where therapeutic cannabis is legal, a significant reduction in opioid consumption was observed. We owe this study to scientists from Pharmerit International in Bethesda, USA. The results were published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine in January 2019.
A nationally representative database was selected and then reduced to a 10% sample to collect information on opioid use, chronic opioid use, and high-risk opioid use between 2006 and 2014.
The researchers opted for a multi-level logistic regression analysis method, taking into account patient and state-related factors. This allowed them to determine the impact of medical cannabis legalization on the three measures of opioid use.
Cannabis legalization leads to a decrease in opioid consumption. In essence: the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes seems to lead to a reduction in opioid prescriptions of approximately:
- 5% less for opioid use
- 7% less for regular opioid use
- 4% less for high-risk opioid use
The authors also concluded that in states where cannabis is available through medical channels, a relatively lower rate of opioid and high-risk opioid prescriptions was found. The government could consider legalizing cannabis for medical and therapeutic purposes. This would be a means of action to combat chronic and high-risk opioid consumption.
However, it seems necessary to conduct more advanced research to understand the risks as well as the benefits of legalizing cannabis for medical purposes.
