A multi-institutional study involving researchers from three universities has discovered a correlation between medical cannabis legalization and reduced payments from opioid drug manufacturers to pain doctors. The study found that when states launch regulated medical marijuana programs, patients begin using the divisive drug as an alternative to pharmaceutical pain medications.
The result is reduced payments from pain drug manufacturers to doctors who specifically deal with pain and pain-related conditions, say researchers from the State University of New York (SUNY), the University of Southern California, and the University of Florida. According to the researchers, their analysis indicates that pain drug manufacturers view medical cannabis as a superior alternative to opioids and reduce their payments to doctors who prescribe pain medications when medical marijuana becomes legal.
The joint research paper was published in the Journal of the American Statistical Association in late 2024. It points to a trend that has accelerated in the U.S. as the country’s state-level cannabis industry has expanded over the past decade. Countless Americans across the country are using cannabis to alleviate all kinds of physical pain. States with regulated cannabis markets typically see a reduction in pharmaceutical painkiller use.
This is likely because cannabis doesn’t have the same side effects as opioid medications. While opioids can result in unwanted effects such as dependence, addiction, and even overdose, medical marijuana’s side effects tend to be mild, short-term inconveniences. Consequently, Americans who have access to cannabis, be it medical or recreational, are increasingly likely to abandon their pain medications for marijuana.
The joint study received part of its funding from a National Science Foundation grant. Its main focus was analyzing the financial incentives prescribing doctors typically receive from drug makers to prescribe their drugs. The final report notes a ‘significant decrease’ in payments from pain drug manufacturers to prescribing doctors in the wake of new medical marijuana laws.
Study co-author and assistant professor of marketing at the State University of New York Buffalo’s School of Management Wreetabrata Kar says the study’s findings suggest that marijuana’s value as an opioid alternative is expanding. A growing number of folks are starting to look at cannabis as a drug with the potential to ‘transform’ American pain management practices and help address the devastating opioid crisis, Kar says.
A safer alternative to opioids with little potential for addiction, and most importantly, overdose, would be a life-changing solution to America’s opioid crisis. With new pain management solutions, Kar notes, the financial relationship between healthcare providers and opioid manufacturers will change.
This analysis goes to show that patients are finding utility in using medical marijuana from licensed firms like Green Thumb Industries Inc. (CSE: GTII) (OTCQX: GTBIF) as an alternative to pharmaceuticals indicated for chronic pain and other forms of pain.
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