Medical cannabis (marijuana) users frequently use it to reduce pain and prescription use. What are some motivators for those who consume under the legally renewed adult use or “recreational” option? Between August and October of 2016, 1000 non-medical cannabis users who voluntarily participated in a survey at two Colorado dispensaries provided some insights. 65% reported […]
prescriptions
Marijuana Users Pop Less Pills
Chronic pain is the most common reason given for obtaining a license for medical cannabis (marijuana). It is also well known that chronic pain is common, challenging to treat, and costly to the medical system and the individual. This study, published in The Journal of Pain, evaluated the surveys of 1,321 medical cannabis users with […]
Marijuana Laws Reduce Opiate Prescriptions
The purpose of this paper was to evaluate any relationship between the implementation of Colorado’s recreational cannabis (marijuana) law and the trends regarding opioid prescriptions. Colorado was compared with Utah and Maryland, two states without marijuana laws, for this purpose. Examinations were done on the prescription distribution of nine opiate based pain medications and two […]
Marijuana Could Ease ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) appears to result from a number of abnormal physiological processes occurring simultaneously. In order to address all the known pathophysiologies of ALS, multiple drugs used would have to include: a glutamate antagonist, an antioxidant, a centrally acting anti-inflammatory agent, a microglial cell modulator, an anti-apoptotic agent, a neurotrophic growth factor, and […]
Medical Marijuana Used In Canadian Hospitals
As legality for medical marijuana improves around the world, there are some hospitals in Canada already allowing patients to use this natural medicine. At the time of this study, two of them were Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke (CHUS), with Montréal’s Jewish General Hospital following soon after. Palliative care is one area where marijuana is […]
Marijuana, Prescription Meds & Substance Abuse
Management of chronic pain is one of the most common reasons for seeking marijuana (cannabis) medicine. However little is known regarding the effects of combining marijuana and prescription pain medicines on the potential for more serious alcohol and other substance involvement. This article collected data on 273 participants in southwestern Michigan with comparisons on socio-demographics, […]
Medical Marijuana Reduces Prescriptions In Medicare D
Using data on all prescriptions filled by Medicare Part D enrollees from 2010 to 2013, the authors of this study found that the use of prescription drugs for which marijuana (cannabis) could serve as a clinical alternative fell significantly, once a medical marijuana law was implemented. National overall reductions in Medicare program and enrollee spending […]
Medical Marijuana May Enhance Brain Function
Although medical marijuana is derived from the same plant species as recreational marijuana, those seeking medical relief often choose strains with unique chemical ratios not often sought by the recreational user. For example, medical users are more likely to choose profiles with significant CBD ratios present instead of seeking the highest level of THC possible. […]
Medical Marijuana May Decrease Prescription Use
In this Canadian study of 271 medical marijuana patients, results were similar to that found for dispensary patients in New England, where many were able to reduce prescription medication. Cannabis (marijuana) is perceived to be an effective treatment for many diverse conditions, including pain and mental health, and 63% of these patients substituted marijuana for […]
Medical Marijuana: Less Depression Than Opioid User
Significant rates of depression and anxiety are consistently reported among patients with chronic pain. Since medical marijuana (cannabis) has become more prevalent for treatment of chronic pain, this cross sectional study compared depression among opioid users, marijuana users, and those who used both. Depression rates in opioid users was 57%, for marijuana users 22%, and […]