“Almost one-third of patients experiencing moderate to severe pain at enrollment saw a meaningful reduction in pain symptoms within four months of treatment,” researchers determined.
Topic: Medical Cannabis
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Participants in the program will be able to receive telehealth consultations with cannabis specialists and discounts on medical marijuana products, among other benefits.
“The introduction of cannabis as a therapeutic alternative may have contributed to a reduction in opioid use among patients seeking pain relief,” the study’s authors wrote.
Nearly 1 in 4 pain patients residing in states where medical cannabis access is legal identify as marijuana consumers.
The most frequently reported reasons for using cannabis were anxiety, chronic pain, depression, post-traumatic stress, migraine, and fibromyalgia.
“Had all 50 states implemented medical cannabis at the same time, employees may have seen a total savings of $4.2 billion for single plans and $2.3 billion for employee-plus-one plans in a given year.”
Patients reported greater than 20 percent improvements in their physical health, social functioning, and emotional well-being following their introduction to medical cannabis.
Sixty-three percent of respondents reported substituting cannabis products for other medications, including NSAIDs, opioids, sleep aids, and muscle relaxants.