Key Points Question  Is receiving medical cannabis for a longer duration associated with reducing prescription opioid dosages among patients receiving long-term opioid therapy? Findings  In this cohort study among 8165 patients with chronic pain receiving long-term opioid therapy, receiving medical cannabis for a longer duration was associated with prescription opioid dosage reduction. Higher opioid dosages were associated with larger reductions. Meaning  These findings contribute evidence toward potential clinical benefits of medical cannabis in reducing prescription opioid intake, which may decrease patients’ risk of opioid overdose. Abstract Importance  Patients with chronic pain often receive long-term opioid therapy (LOT), which places them at risk of opioid use disorder and overdose....

Abstract Objectives: To assess the self-reported reasons for medical cannabis use within the southeastern United States and compare recreational and medical cannabis users. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional survey administered in 2017 through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk and enrolled 432 adult, regular cannabis users. Measures included demographics, cannabis use characteristics, and medical reasons for cannabis use. Results: Under half (47%) of respondents endorsed using cannabis for both medical and recreational reasons and 12% reported medical use only. The most commonly cited reasons for medical cannabis use were psychiatric and 60 unique medical conditions were listed. Recreational and medical users were similar on several measures...

Abstract Background: Benzodiazepines are a class of medication with sedative properties, commonly used for anxiety and other neurological conditions. These medications are associated with several well-known adverse effects. This observational study aims to investigate the reduction of benzodiazepine use in patients using prescribed medical cannabis. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on a cohort of 146 medical cannabis patients (average age 47 years, 61% female, 54% reporting prior use of cannabis) who reported benzodiazepine use at initiation of cannabis therapy. These data are a part of a database gathered by a medical cannabis clinic (Canabo Medical). Descriptive statistics were used to quantify associations of the proportion...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Objectives  The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of cannabis use among all patients admitted with acute pancreatitis (AP) in the United States and to investigate the impact of cannabis use on AP mortality, morbidity, and cost of care. Methods  The National Inpatient Sample database from 2003 to 2013 was queried for all patients with AP and active exposure to cannabis. Outcomes included in-hospital mortality, length of stay, inflation adjusted charges, acute kidney injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and shock. Results were adjusted for age, sex, race, Charlson comorbidity index, median income...

Abstract Background: Research on the patterns of use of medical cannabis among cancer patients is lacking. Objective: To describe patterns of medical cannabis use by patients with cancer, and how patterns differ from patients without cancer. Design/Measurements: We performed secondary data analysis using data from a medical cannabis licensee in New York State, analyzing demographic information, qualifying conditions, and symptoms, and the medical cannabis product used, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to cannabidiol (CBD) ratios. Setting/Subjects: Adults age ≥18 who used New York State medical cannabis licensee products between January 2016 and December 2017. Results: There were a total of 11,590 individuals with 1990 (17.2%) having cancer who used at least...

Please use this link to access this publication. Abstract Background Driving under the influence of cannabis (DUIC) is a public health concern among those using medical cannabis. Understanding behaviors contributing to DUIC can inform prevention efforts. We evaluated three past 6-month DUIC behaviors among medical cannabis users with chronic pain. Methods Adults (N = 790) seeking medical cannabis certification or recertification for moderate/severe pain were recruited from February 2014 through June 2015 at Michigan medical cannabis clinics. About half of participants were male (52%) and 81% were White; their Mean age was 45.8 years. Participants completed survey measures of DUIC (driving within 2 h of use, driving while “a little high,” and...

Abstract Objective: The study sought to describe a Canadian sample of university students’ medicinal use of cannabis, including prevalence of cannabis use disorder (CUD) and replacement of traditional treatments with cannabis. Method: A random sample of 4000 university students was asked to complete a cross-sectional web-based survey. The survey was completed by 2212 (average age 23.2 years, SD = 5.2 years), representing a 55.3% response rate. To be eligible, students had to be enrolled in a class on campus and were 18 years or older. Result: Half (52%) of respondents used cannabis at least once in their lifetime, with ∼11% reporting medicinal cannabis use....

Abstract The evidence for cannabis’s treatment efficacy across different conditions varies widely, and comprehensive data on the conditions for which people use cannabis are lacking. We analyzed state registry data to provide nationwide estimates characterizing the qualifying conditions for which patients are licensed to use cannabis medically. We also compared the prevalence of medical cannabis qualifying conditions to recent evidence from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report on cannabis’s efficacy in treating each condition. Twenty states and the District of Columbia had available registry data on patient numbers, and fifteen states had data on patient-reported qualifying conditions. Chronic pain is currently...

Abstract In 2017, a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report comprehensively evaluated the body of evidence regarding cannabis health effects through the year 2016. The objectives of this study are to identify and map the most recently (2016–2019) published literature across approved conditions for medical cannabis and to evaluate the quality of identified recent systematic reviews, published following the NASEM report. Following the literature search from 5 databases and consultation with experts, 11 conditions were identified for evidence compilation and evaluation: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, autism, cancer, chronic noncancer pain, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, glaucoma, human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS, multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease,...

Abstract Introduction: Compounds present in Cannabis sativa such as phytocannabinoids and terpenoids may act in concert to elicit therapeutic effects. Cannabinoids such as Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) directly activate cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2); however, it is not known if terpenoids present in Cannabis also affect cannabinoid receptor signaling. Therefore, we examined six common terpenoids alone, and in combination with cannabinoid receptor agonists, on CB1 and CB2 signaling in vitro. Materials and Methods: Potassium channel activity in AtT20 FlpIn cells transfected with human CB1 or CB2 receptors was measured in real time using FLIPR® membrane potential dye in a FlexStation 3 plate reader. Terpenoids were tested individually and in combination for periods up to...