For years, cannabis advocates, patients, and even some doctors have been saying the same thing: medical marijuana can help reduce opioid use. Now the research keeps catching up to what people on the ground have already known for a long time.
A new study highlighted by Marijuana Moment found that medical cannabis access helped chronic pain patients reduce their reliance on prescription opioids.
But this isn’t some brand new revelation. Studies going back nearly a decade have shown similar results. A 2016 study from the University of Michigan found medical cannabis patients reported a 64% reduction in opioid use. Research in 2023 from New York and CUNY also showed long-term medical cannabis patients significantly lowered opioid dosages over time.
Meanwhile, politicians spent years talking about the opioid crisis while many ignored or resisted cannabis reform entirely.
At this point, the conversation shouldn’t be “Does cannabis help reduce opioid dependence?” The real question is: why did it take so long for policymakers to start listening to patients?
Dabbin-Dad Newsroom
