Study shows most consumers prefer cannabis over prescription meds

312 0

A recent survey indicates that over 60% of respondents would choose cannabis

The legalization of marijuana and its continued use may reduce demand for some medications to reduce pain, depression, anxiety, or sleep disorders, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Pain Research. While the use of prescription painkillers may be necessary for different conditions, their side effects are a nuisance for many, causing many to see cannabis as an ideal alternative, especially because of its efficacy.

Such a trend would represent cost savings in medical supplies for both health systems and consumers. It would also avoid the side effects caused by some of these drugs, the Israeli researchers said. In order to reach this conclusion, the authors assessed the long-term use of cannabis in a cohort of several hundred cancer patients.

Based on studies of other patient cohorts, cannabis use was clearly linked to symptom reduction, improved quality of life, and withdrawal from prescription drugs. Nearly half of the participants who completed the trial said they did not feel it necessary to include painkillers in their daily routine.

The authors concluded by saying that the most relevant finding of the recent study is that most of the comorbid cancer symptoms improved markedly after medical marijuana treatment was included for six months. “In conclusion, this large-scale, comprehensive, prospective cohort demonstrated an overall mild to modest, long-term statistical improvement in all measures investigated, including pain, associated symptoms and, most importantly, reduction in opioid (and other analgesics) use.”