Can Legalizing Cannabis Help with the Opioid Epidemic?
Two studies came out earlier this week in JAMA Internal Medicine stating that there is a potential link between cannabis legalization and a decrease in the amount of prescriptions for opioids (1,2). The first study by Bradford and colleagues concluded that medical cannabis laws were associated with significant reductions in opioid prescriptions for patients in the Medicare Part D population. “This finding was particularly strong in states that permit dispensaries, and for reductions in hydrocodone and morphine prescriptions,” the authors stated.
According to the study (1), this longitudinal analysis of Medicare Part D found that prescriptions filled for all opioids decreased by 2.11 million daily doses/year from an average of 23.08 million daily doses/year when a state instituted any medical cannabis law. Prescriptions for all opioids decreased by 3.742 million daily doses/year when medical cannabis dispensaries opened.
The second paper by Wen and Hockenberry was a population-based, cross-sectional study based on the all-capture Medicaid prescription data from 2011 to 2016. The authors compared the Medicaid prescription data to the medical marijuana and adult-use marijuana laws that were passed during the same time frame to discover if those laws were associated with lower opioid prescribing rates. According to the study, the state implementation of medical marijuana laws was associated with a 5.88% lower rate of opioid prescriptions and the implementation of adult-use marijuana laws was associated with a 6.38% lower rate of opioid prescriptions.
“These findings suggest that medical and adult-use marijuana laws have the potential to reduce opioid prescribing for Medicaid enrollees, a segment of population with disproportionately high risk for chronic pain, opioid use disorder, and opioid overdose,” said the authors (2).
Both of these studies strongly indicate that cannabis can help fight the opioid epidemic. For more information on these studies, please see the full articles at the links provided below.
References:
- A.C. Bradford, W.D. Bradford, A. Abraham, and G. Bagwell Adams, JAMA Intern Med. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.0266 (2018). Available at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2676999
- H. Wen and J.M. Hockenberry, JAMA Intern Med. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.1007 (2018). Available at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2677000
Ep 24, Part III: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Kahn
December 26th 2024In the final part of this episode, Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn discuss the need for a national entity to centralize cannabis data collection, moving from snapshot data to continuous updates. They emphasize the importance of accurate lab data and adverse event tracking, suggesting QR codes on packaging to report issues. Yasha suggests harsher consequences for result manipulation and suggests collaboration between state departments and federal entities to support underfunded regulators. They also discuss the potential benefits of off-the-shelf testing and the importance of stability testing. Finally, Yasha shares his top three reading recommendations for the audience.
Ep 24, Part II: Data Transparency in Cannabis Testing with Yasha Kahn
December 12th 2024Evan Friedmann and Yasha Kahn, co-founder of MCR Labs, discuss the discrepancies between current regulations and data on mycotoxins and pesticides in cannabis products. They highlight the need for updated regulations based on new data, emphasizing the importance of accurate testing and labeling. They also discuss the issue of result manipulation, particularly in THC content, and the need for public health officials to address this. Yasha suggests making testing data public to enhance oversight and suggests a national entity to manage this data for better consistency and public safety.
