AZ Researchers Affirm Marijuana Use Is Linked to Reduced Opioid Use

Researchers affiliated with the University of Arizona analyzed data from multiple studies that involved over 7,200 participants with chronic pain and found that their medical marijuana use reduced opioid use, hospital admissions, and emergency room visits.

The researchers found that “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. 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.”

Several other studies have also concluded that chronic pain sufferers that use medical marijuana typically are able to reduce or eliminate their opioid use, NORML reported.

“Given the current opioid epidemic in the USA and medical cannabis’s recognized analgesic properties, MC could serve as a viable option to achieve opioid dosage reduction in managing non-cancer chronic pain,” the researchers concluded.