University of Michigan Archives

Medical Cannabis Reduces Use of Opioid Pain Meds, Decreases Chronic Pain Risk, Finds Study

March 22, 2016March 22, 2016

Patients using medical cannabis to control chronic pain reported a 64% reduction in their use of more traditional prescription pain medications known as opioids, a University of Michigan study released today has found.

The study’s participates also reported fewer side effects from their medications and a 45% improvement in quality of life since using cannabis to manage pain.

Researchers from the U-M School of Public Health and Medical School said their results suggest that for some people, medical cannabis may be an alternative to more common prescription painkillers at a time when national health leaders are asking the medical community to cut back on prescribing drugs like Vicodin and OxyContin.

Study: Daily Cannabis Use Exceeds Daily Cigarette Use Among U.S. College Students

September 1, 2015September 1, 2015

Despite cannabis being illegal in many parts of the country, daily cannabis use among U.S. college students now exceeds daily cigarette use, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan.

According to the study, 6% of college students use cannabis on a daily basis, up from 3.5% in 2007.

As for cigarettes, 5% of college students report using them daily, down from 19% in 1999.

Study: Teen Cannabis Use Declines Despite States Continuing to Legalize

December 16, 2014

The 2014 Monitoring the Future study, conducted by the University of Michigan and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, was released Tuesday morning. The annual survey of 40,000 8th-graders, 10th-graders and 12th-graders found that, despite increasing efforts to legalize the substance, teen cannabis use is on the decline.

According to the study, teens reporting lifetime use of cannabis dropped in 2014 by 1.4 percent, teens reporting monthly use of cannabis dropped by 1.2 percent, and teens reporting daily cannabis use dropped by .7%. Overall, the survey found that roughly 30% of teens have used cannabis in their lifetimes, with about 14% saying they’ve consumed cannabis in the previous month.

New Government Survey Finds Teens Shunning Synthetic Cannabis for the Natural Product

December 22, 2013December 18, 2013

A new national survey released by Monitoring the Future – an organization funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse – and conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, has found that teenagers are shunning synthetic substances meant to mimic cannabis, such as K2 and Spice, and are replacing them by smoking more actual cannabis. The survey was of more than 40,000 teenagers in three different grades (8th, 10th and 12th).