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Higher marijuana use prevalent among patients with chronic non-cancer pain
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In a sample of Australian patients with chronic non-cancer pain, researchers found the use of marijuana for pain relief was very common, with patients reporting greater pain relief when using marijuana plus opioids compared with opioids alone.
The POINT study comprised 1,514 Australians who were prescribed opioids for non-cancer pain lasting more than 6 weeks. The opioids prescribed included morphine, oxycodone, methadone, buprenorphine or fentanyl. Pain conditions included back or neck problems, rheumatoid arthritis, headaches, visceral pain, fibromyalgia and other conditions.
Researchers collected data on patients’ marijuana use and marijuana use for pain. Additionally, pain ratings were obtained using the Brief Pain Inventory, marijuana and other drug/alcohol use was assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and recent depression and anxiety were assessed using modules from the Pfizer Health Questionnaire.
One in six of the patients reported using marijuana for pain relief, with 6% reporting they had used it within the last month. About a quarter or respondents said they would use marijuana for pain relief if it was available to them, according to the researchers.
Of those who reported using marijuana, the average pain relief was reported to be 70% compared with a reported pain relief of 50% among those taking opioids alone. Additionally, 34 patients said that marijuana use provided 100% pain relief vs. four patients treated with opioids alone. Approximately 43% reported using marijuana recreationally at some time, and one in eight met criteria for ICD-10 cannabis use disorder. – by Shirley Pulawski
Disclosure: Degenhardt received untied educational grants from Reckitt Benckiser for post-marketing surveillance of new medications in Australia. Please see the full study for a list of all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.
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