Study Finds Utah Medical Cannabis Legalization Is Associated with Reduced Opioid Usage

medical cannabis legalization
By A.J. Herrington Published December 6th, 2024

A new study investigating the use of prescription opioids in Utah has found that the legalization of medical cannabis in the state led to reduced usage of opioids by those with chronic pain. The results of the study also suggest that the availability of legal cannabis has helped reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths statewide.

“Since the legalization of medical cannabis in 2018, there has been a noticeable decrease in deaths related to prescription opioids in the state,” the authors of the study wrote. “This shift suggests that the introduction of cannabis as a therapeutic alternative may have contributed to a reduction in opioid use among patients seeking pain relief.”

A presentation on the research was given to members of the Utah Medical Cannabis Policy Advisory Board at a meeting last month, according to a report from online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment. The research was conducted by Management Science Associates (MSA), a Pittsburgh based data analytics firm.

Overall, the study’s findings suggest that “cannabis has a substantial role to play in pain management and the reduction of opioid use,” the authors wrote.

The study included 186 chronic pain patients and analyzed data from medical cannabis dispensary transactions. The transaction data was matched with patient medical records “using [an] MSA patented, HIPAA compliant de-identification system.”

The study group was approximately 54% female and 45% male. Most (87%) participants were white and ranged in age from 23 to 89, with a mean age of 49. Nearly all (98.9%) were residents of Utah, while a few were from Oregon and New Mexico.

More than half (57%) of participants had chronic musculoskeletal pain, while 19% had chronic visceral pain, and 13% had chronic headache and orofacial pain. Four percent had chronic primary pain, 3% had chronic neuropathic pain, and 2% had chronic post-traumatic and postsurgical pain.

Overwhelming Majority of Study Participants Reduced Opioid Consumption

The results showed that 84.4% of participants reduced their use of opioids, as measured in morphine milligram equivalents (MME).

“Specifically, there was a 53.1% reduction,” the MSA report says. “The mean MME/month in the period before cannabis use was 3832 MMD/Month, and after starting cannabis we observed a mean of 1798 MME/Month.”

Although many participants reported more than one type of pain, most patients who reduced their opioid intake had chronic musculoskeletal pain. Patients with chronic neuropathic pain showed the steepest reduction in opioid use

Only one group of participants by pain condition showed an increase in opioid use. Patients with chronic headache and orofacial pain showed a 20.6% rise in opioid consumption, compared to a 10.9% to 73.5% reduction among all other conditions in the study.

“As the medical community continues to seek safer pain management options,” the researchers wrote in their conclusion, “cannabis may become a key component of treatment strategies, particularly for chronic pain patients.”

“These findings support the hypothesis that cannabis can significantly reduce opioid use among chronic pain patients,” they added. “This is crucial as it provides a potential pathway to tackle opioid dependency, offering a less addictive alternative for chronic pain management with fewer side effects.”

The authors note that the study’s findings are consistent with a similar study the company conducted in Minnesota and also “align with previous literature indicating that medical cannabis can serve as an effective adjunctive therapy for chronic pain, leading to a significant reduction in opioid use.”

The authors recommended further research on the subject, including studies that focus on larger sample sizes and more diverse populations. They also called for research that investigated specific doses of cannabinoids.

“Our results suggest that while there is evidence supporting the efficacy of cannabis in reducing opioid use, larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and refine cannabis treatment protocols,” the researchers wrote.

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The information in this article and any included images or charts are for educational purposes only. This information is neither a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about laws, regulations, or your health, you should always consult with an attorney, physician or other licensed professional.

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