Survey: 63% of rheumatic condition patients substitute cannabis for prescription drugs; respondents cite better symptom management, fewer side effects as reasons

Montreal, Canada: Patients with neuropathy, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and other rheumatic conditions frequently substitute cannabis in place of prescription medications, according to survey data published in the journal Open Neurology.

Researchers affiliated with McGill University in Montreal and the University of Michigan surveyed 763 US and Canadian patients with rheumatic conditions.

Consistent with other studies, 63 percent of respondents reported substituting cannabis products for other medications, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (55 percent), opioids (49 percent), sleep aids (30 percent), and muscle relaxants (25 percent). Following substitution, most participants reported decreases or cessation in their medication use. Respondents typically reported turning to cannabis because it offered “better symptom management” and was associated with “fewer adverse effects.”

Those who substituted medical cannabis in place of other medications reported greater improvements in pain, sleep, joint stiffness, muscle spasm, inflammation, and global health.

“The acceptance of MC [medical cannabis] as a treatment strategy for rheumatic conditions is evolving,” the study’s authors concluded. “These encouraging results of medication reduction and favorable effect of MC require confirmation with more rigorous methods. … Comparative effective clinical trials of MC versus other pain treatments are needed, as are more prospective studies investigating the effects of MC on the use of medications and other substances in rheumatic populations.”

Full text of the study, “Substituting medical cannabis for medications among patients with rheumatic conditions in the United States and Canada,” appears in Open Neurology. Additional information is available in NORML’s publication, Clinical Applications for Cannabis & Cannabinoids.