According to a new study, patients are preferring medical marijuana over Opioids for pain relief.
The study, performed by researchers from University of California Berkeley and Kent State University, was reported in the journal Cannabis and Canabinoid Research and according to the team, “This study can conclude that medical cannabis patients report successfully using cannabis along with or as a substitute for opioid-based pain medication.”
“Patients in this study who are using cannabis and opioids report that they are able to use less opioids and that cannabis presents less unwanted side effects than their opioid-based medication,” the team said.
The tem emailed participants a survey that asked them about their pain as well as their usage of marijuana and opioids.
According to the results, 2,810 participants were currently using marijuana while 828 had used opioids in the last 6 months to manage pain.
The researchers concluded that, “97 percent of the sample ‘strongly agreed/agreed’ that they are able to decrease the amount of opioids they consume when they also use cannabis. In addition, 89 percent ‘strongly agreed/agreed’ that taking opioids produces unwanted side effects such as constipation and nausea.”
They also found that, “81 percent ‘strongly agreed/agreed’ that taking cannabis by itself was more effective at treating their condition than taking cannabis with opioids”.
According to the study, by the end of last year, 28 states had legalized marijuana for medical use, and eight states and the District of Columbia had permitted recreational use of marijuana.