Study: 31% of People With Chronic Pain Used Medical Marijuana

[rosamichel]

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has revealed that approximately one-third of Americans use medical marijuana to treat chronic pain. The survey conducted by Michigan Medicine gathered data from 1,661 adults living in 36 states with medical marijuana programs and Washington D.C. who reported having chronic pain.

The results showed that 31% of the respondents used medical marijuana to manage their chronic pain at some point in their lives, while 36% reported using it within the last 12 months, and 23.2% used it in the past 30 days. The majority of those who used medical marijuana also used other forms of pain management, such as prescription opioids, non-opioids, over-the-counter pain medication, physical therapy, meditation, and cognitive therapy.

The study showed that medical marijuana had an impact on the use of these other therapies. Over 50% of respondents reported reducing their use of prescription opioids, non-opioids, and over-the-counter pain medications, while 1% reported using more of these drugs. Regarding physical therapy, 39% of respondents reported decreasing their use, while 5.9% reported increasing it. The study also found that 23.7% of respondents reported meditating more, while 19% reported meditating less. Similarly, 26% reported using cognitive therapy less, while 17.1% reported using it more.

The survey highlights the need for more research on the benefits and risks of using medical marijuana for chronic pain management, according to Mark Bicket, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and co-director of the Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network. The survey was conducted between March and April, with 57.1% of respondents being female and the average age being 52.3 years. Chronic pain is defined as physical distress that lasts for at least six months and can affect various areas such as the back, neck, head, and bones.