A senior woman uses a grinder to prepare cannabis for rolling into a joint

Study: Cannabis Use in Older Patients Associated With Improved Quality of Life, Lower Demand for Prescription Drugs

“The results of this study indicate that cannabis may be a relatively safe and effective treatment for chronic pain, sleep disturbances, and other conditions associated with aging, leading to subsequent reductions in prescription drug use and healthcare costs, as well as significant improvements in quality of life.”

Smoke wafts from a green glass Sherlock pipe rating on a white table next to an open prescription-style bottle of medical cannabis

Medical Cannabis Access Associated With Decreased Opioid Use In Chronic Pain Patients

Chronic pain patients with legal access to medicinal cannabis significantly decrease their use of opioids, according to data published online ahead of print in The Journal of Pain. “Among study participants, medical cannabis use was associated with a 64% decrease in opioid use, decreased number and side effects of medications, and an improved quality of life,” investigators concluded.