The Association of Medical Cannabis Use with Pain Levels and Opioid Use in Illinois' Opioid Alternative Pilot Program.
Subst Use Misuse
; 59(12): 1785-1796, 2024.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39069737
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
The state of Illinois' Opioid Alternative Pilot Program (OAPP) is the first and only official harm-reduction program in the US to address the opioid crisis via facilitation of safe and legal access to medical cannabis. This study evaluates the association of medical cannabis use with pain level and frequency of opioid use in the first cohort of OAPP participants in 2019.METHODS:
A survey was sent OAPP enrollees between February and July 2019. Cannabis users (n = 626) were compared to non-users (n = 234) to determine whether there was an association between cannabis use and self-reported (a) pain level and (b) frequency of opioid use. Backward stepwise regression models were used.RESULTS:
A total of 860 participants was included in the analysis. Overall, 75% of the study sample reported pain as their primary medical symptom, and 67% of cannabis users reported having a disability. The mean difference in pain level between cannabis users and non-users was 4.5 units (on a 100-point scale) higher among cannabis users than non-users (p = 0.03); and cannabis use was statistically associated with pain level. High-frequency opioid users had lower odds of reporting cannabis use within the past year than low/no opioid users.CONCLUSIONS:
Although there was a statistical association between cannabis use and pain, the difference of 4.5 points in pain level between users and non-users was too small to reflect a clinically meaningful relative difference. This study may provide useful information to providers and clinicians about how the OAPP and similar programs may reduce opioid use and improve health outcomes.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Dolor
/
Marihuana Medicinal
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Analgésicos Opioides
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Trastornos Relacionados con Opioides
Límite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
/
Middle aged
País/Región como asunto:
America do norte
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Subst Use Misuse
/
Subst. use misuse
/
Substance use and misuse
Asunto de la revista:
TRANSTORNOS RELACIONADOS COM SUBSTANCIAS
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos