59% of Marijuana Users Have Stopped Using Opiates, Arizona Study Finds

According to a new study, cannabis use is linked to reducing Americans’ opioid use and emergency room visits among patients with pain.

Researchers affiliated with the University of Arizona analyzed datasets from multiple studies of people with non-cancer chronic pain, NORML reported.

There’s a “much higher reduction in opioid dosage, reduced emergency room visits, and hospital admissions for chronic non-cancer pain by MC [medical cannabis] users, compared to people with no additional use of MC,” the study found. “There was 64 to 75 percent reduction in opioid dosage for MC users and complete stoppage of opioid use for chronic non-cancer pain by 32 to 59 percent of MC users, when compared to patients without additional use of MC.”

The researchers feel that marijuana’s analgesic properties “could serve as a viable option to achieve opioid dosage reduction” in people coping with chronic pain.