Insights from recent research in Utah regarding the impact of cannabis on opioid prescriptions of patients with chronic pain showed some promising results.
Preliminary results from an observational, self-controlled retrospective cohort study by Management Science Associates (MSA) using point-of-sale data linked to electronic health records of 186 patients with chronic pain from 2021 to 2024 indicates a 53% reduction in opioid prescriptions after initiating cannabis use.
The study presentation, tabled at a Medical Cannabis Policy Advisory Board meeting last month states 84.4% of patients reduced opioid use after starting cannabis. Most patients who reduced opioid use were 36 – 65 years old. Among the group that experienced reduction in opioid use, 56% were females and 43% were males.
Interestingly, while the greatest reduction was seen in neuropathic pain (73.5%), patients with chronic headache/orofacial pain showed an increase in opioid use. Patients achieving reductions mostly commonly used vapes (67.6%), gummies (53.3%) and tinctures (19.0%).
MSA noted a similar study in Minnesota showing a 30% reduction in opioid prescriptions.
While acknowledging several limitations of the study, including the 3-year timeframe possibly not capturing long-term trends, MSA said:
“Cannabis may offer a safer pain management alternative, helping reduce opioid dependency and associated risks.”
While cannabis remains illegal in Utah for recreational use, a cannabidiol (CBD) -only law was passed in 2014 and a limited “right to try” law passed in March 2018 before broader medical use was legalized by a ballot measure in November 2018. A survey the year prior found 73 percent of Utahns were in favour of allowing doctors to recommend medical marijuana as a treatment for serious illnesses.
Utah’s medical cannabis program launched in early 2020 and in 2022, changes the state’s program enabled more health care professionals to recommend cannabis.
According to an October 2024 report from Utah Department of Health & Human Services’ Center for Medical Cannabis, there were 90,523 patients with active medical cards and 952 qualified medical providers in the state. The most common qualifying condition among patients was pain; which was associated with more than 76,000. The age group with the highest representation were those 31 – 40 years (26.32%), followed by 41 – 50 years at 22.34%.
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