Medical Marijuana on the Rise. Opioid Use Goes Down by Half!
A study was recently published in the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, which makes some significant contributions to the medical marijuana community. The goal was to study patients that use medical marijuana for chronic pain.
The study looked at the long-term effectiveness of medical marijuana for chronic pain, the patterns of use, and overall demographics. Since chronic pain is one of the main reasons why patients use medical marijuana, this study is of high significance.
The patients were enrolled in the study between September 2015 and July 2018 from medical marijuana clinics in Ontario, Canada. Pain intensity and pain-related inference were the two main variables that were studied using a validated questionnaire that was given at the beginning of the study, then again at three, six and twelve months.
Medical Marijuana Improves Quality of Life for People With Chronic Pain
The findings show that there was a significant decrease in pain intensity and pain-related interference over time when using medical marijuana for chronic pain. This study adds to the legitimacy of using medical marijuana for chronic pain as many other studies have also supported this conclusion.
The most exciting news of this study was that opioid use for chronic pain went down by nearly half! At the beginning of the study, 40.8% of patients were using opioids for pain management and by month twelve that number was down to 23.9%.
The results of this research study point to a couple of conclusions. One, medical marijuana is a legitimate treatment for pain management and is backed by solid research. Second, the effectiveness of medical marijuana seems to be beneficial over a long period of time, therefore tolerance may not play a significant role as long as the treatment is stable and consistent.
Lastly, medical marijuana can be a substitute for opioids when used for pain management which is a much safer solution long term.
Get Your West Virginia Medical Marijuana Card Today!
If you are a West Virginia resident suffering from a medical condition you think may benefit from cannabis, you're likely eligible for medical marijuana treatment.
Click here to learn more about what West Virginia Marijuana Card's state-certified medical marijuana doctors can do for you. Or, give us a call at (877) 303-8424. Our friendly support team can walk you through the entire process and schedule you for an evaluation appointment.