Opioids abandoned in favor of cannabis?
More and more patients report using cannabis as part of their treatment. A rather convincing alternative to prescription opioids. Cannabis preferred over opioids... when it's legal.
If it's legal, people turn to cannabis to relieve pain and insomnia. This is revealed by a new study by American researchers from the Albert Einstein College in New York.
A sample of 1,000 people was created and analyzed; they use cannabis in Colorado, a state where, we remind you, it is legal. The survey was conducted at two local dispensaries. During the period between August 2016 and October 2016, staff at both stores asked customers if they would agree to participate in the study and, if so, provided a link to an electronic survey.
It turned out that of the 65% of respondents who stated they had used cannabis to relieve their pain, 80% said it was "very or extremely helpful."
Another significant finding is that most of those who were taking over-the-counter pain relievers (82%) or opioid pain relievers (88%) reported reducing or stopping their use.
Ultimately, among the 1,000 adult consumers surveyed, 65% admitted to using cannabis to relieve pain and 74% to promote sleep.
The effects of cannabis particularly praised for sleep.
Focusing on cannabis use for sleep, 84% of respondents found it very helpful. In addition, a significant proportion of those taking over-the-counter (87%) or prescribed (83%) sleeping pills reported having reduced or stopped their use.
We realize that for a large part of the panel, cannabis is favored over over-the-counter pain relievers, prescription opioids, and sleeping pills.
"These are not the only reasons people use marijuana, but it's one of the motivating factors," comments Dr. Gwen Wurm, author of the study and Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Miller School of Medicine at the University of Miami. She adds: "People who use it for these reasons find it effective."
