Study: Majority of Medical Cannabis Patients Use Cannabis to Replace Prescription Drugs
A new study published by the International Journal of Drug Policy has found that a majority of medical cannabis patients are using cannabis in replace of dangerous prescription drugs, mainly opioids.
For the study; “Patients registered to purchase cannabis from Tilray, a federally authorized Licenced Producer (LP) within the MMPR [the law that allows medical cannabis on the federal level in Canada], were invited to complete an online survey consisting of 107 questions on demographics, patterns of use, and cannabis substitution effect. The survey was completed by 271 respondents.”
According to the study; “Cannabis is perceived to be an effective treatment for diverse conditions, with pain and mental health the most prominent.” It was found that 63% of the study’s participants use cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs, “particularly pharmaceutical opioids (30%), benzodiazepines (16%), and antidepressants (12%).”
Patients also reported substituting cannabis for alcohol (25%), cigarettes/tobacco (12%), and illicit drugs (3%).
“This study is one of the first to track medical cannabis use under the new system of licensed producers, meaning that all participants had physician authorization to access cannabis in addition to their prescription medicines,” Associate Professor Zach Walsh of the University of British Columbia (and co-author of the study) said in a press release.
The full study can be found by clicking here.