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A new study was just published within the past few weeks in the Canadian Journal of Anesthesia, which makes significant contributions to the medical marijuana community. The purpose was to study patients that use medical marijuana for chronic pain.
Since chronic pain is one of the top reasons why patients use medical marijuana, this study is of high importance. They studied the long-term effectiveness of medical marijuana on chronic pain, the patterns of use, and demographics.
The patients were enrolled in the study between September 2015 and July 2018 from marijuana clinics in Ontario, Canada. Pain intensity and pain-related inference were the two main outcomes that were studied using a validated questionnaire that was given at the beginning of the study, then again at three, six and twelve months.
Research Again Shows Medical Marijuana Improves Quality of Life
It was found that pain intensity and pain-related interference were significantly reduced over time when using medical marijuana. There have been many other research studies done that support this link and this new study adds to the consistency of using medical marijuana for chronic pain.
Medical Marijuana Reduces Opioid Use
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 study point to a couple of things. One, medical marijuana is a great treatment for pain management and is backed by consistent research. Second, since this was a longitudinal study, the effectiveness of medical marijuana seems to be beneficial over a long period of time. So, tolerance may not play a significant role as long as the treatment is stable over time.
Lastly, medical marijuana can be a viable substitute for opioids when used for pain management which is a much safer solution since it is not addictive.
If you are a Missouri resident suffering from a medical condition you think may benefit cannabis, you're likely eligible for medical marijuana treatment.
Click here to learn more about what Missouri Marijuana Card's state-certified medical marijuana doctors can do for you, or give us a call at (877) 303-3117 and our friendly support team can walk you through the entire process and schedule you for an evaluation appointment.