Previous studies have demonstrated that opioid deaths have reduced in states that have legalized medical cannabis (marijuana). One explanation is that patients simply substitute marijuana for opioids. This study evaluated whether substituting marijuana was true for other psychoactive medications.
1,513 dispensary members in New England completed an online survey regarding their marijuana usage and substitution tendencies. 76% decreased their opioid usage, 37% reduced antidepressant use, 42% reduced alcohol use, 71% reduced anti-anxiety medications, 66% reduced migraine medications, and 65% reduced sleep medications.
In other words, a majority of patients were able to reduce medication usage for these conditions after beginning medical cannabis. This is good news for this natural medicine and could lead to more studies in the future.
