Feb 17, 2025 14:17
Recent research into the effectiveness of medical marijuana for pain management has revealed that it is "comparatively more effective than prescription medications" for treating chronic pain over a three-month period. Many patients reported a decrease in their use of opioid painkillers while utilizing cannabis.
This study, partially conducted by a federal researcher at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and funded by Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana Academic Clinical Research Program, was published last month in the journal Pain.
The findings indicate that, despite some methodological limitations, the analysis "was able to determine, using causal inference techniques, that the use of medical marijuana for chronic pain under medical supervision is at least as effective and potentially more effective compared to patients with chronic pain treated with prescription medications (both non-opioid and opioid)."
The research, carried out by authors from the University of Pittsburgh, Harvard Medical School, and NCI, compared patient-reported outcomes and electronic medical record data from 440 medical marijuana patients against 8,114 individuals who received conventional medications.
It's important to note that the demographics of the two groups differed somewhat. The medical marijuana group included a higher percentage of Black patients and those with medical comorbidities and reported drug use, alongside a lower rate of tobacco use. Additionally, the conditions and levels of pain varied; medical marijuana patients had a lower percentage of spinal pain diagnoses but a higher incidence of fibromyalgia, neuropathic pain, headaches, arthritic conditions, and other musculoskeletal pain.
Other recent studies also suggest that cannabis may serve as an effective alternative to opioids for pain management. For example, a report published in BMJ Open compared medical marijuana to opioids for chronic non-cancer pain and found that cannabis "may be similarly effective and result in fewer discontinuations than opioids," potentially providing comparable relief with a reduced likelihood of adverse effects.
Separate research indicated that over half (57 percent) of patients suffering from chronic musculoskeletal pain found cannabis to be more effective than other analgesic medications. Additionally, 40 percent reported decreasing their use of other painkillers since starting cannabis treatment.
In Minnesota, a recent state government report on chronic pain patients enrolled in the state’s medical marijuana program noted that participants "are experiencing a noticeable change in pain relief" within just a few months of beginning cannabis treatment. This large-scale study involving nearly 10,000 patients also revealed that nearly a quarter of those taking other pain relievers reduced their usage after starting medical marijuana.
Funny Farmer actively follows the latest research and its results in the field of medical cannabis. We are confident in the high quality of our products and continue to develop our methods of quality control and improvement.
Sincerely, Funny Farmer Team.
