States that legalize medical or recreational marijuana see “significant reductions” in opioid overdoses among adults with employer-sponsored health insurance—indicating that a “substitution” effect may be at play—according to a new federally funded study.
Researchers at the University of Kentucky College of Public Health say their study is the first of its type to show a link between non-fatal drug poisonings and cannabis use.
This study, which was published in Preventive Medical Reports, examined claims data from 107,5 million commercially insured adult adults ages 18 to 64 from 50 US states plus Washington, D.C., from 2011 through 2021.
The study found that medical marijuana dispensaries, and the legalization of adult-use cannabis was linked to “significant reductions” in opioid-related poisonings among the insured populations sponsored by employers. This is particularly true for males and young people.
Specifically, access to medical cannabis dispensaries (MCDs) and recreational cannabis laws (RCLs) were associated with a 15.47 percent and 11.92 percent reduction in non-fatal opioid overdoses per 100,000 enrollees per quarter, respectively.
“The reductions tied to medical dispensaries were significant for both men and women, and especially notable among younger adults ages 18–34, who saw a 23.27 percent reduction,” the researchers found.
The findings of this study suggest that the increased availability of cannabis via MCD and RCL may be associated with lower levels [non-fatal opioid overdoses among] The study found that “adults with insurance sponsored by their employers” were more likely to have health coverage. The study found that greater cannabis accessibility through RCLs and MCDs may reduce [overdoses] In heavily affected populations, cannabis may have been substituted for opioids.”
Although this study speaks to a common theme of cannabis research in relation to opioid abuse, it is also “the first one to our knowledge to examine and determine a negative correlation between MCD, RCL, and [non-fatal opioid overdoses] The authors stated that “adults with insurance sponsored by their employers” are at a higher risk of cancer.
The report concludes that “the findings support continued evidence-based treatment of opioid use disorders, while policymakers treat the legalization as complementary to harm reduction and priority treatment expansion.”
A grant was provided by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health.
Although the specific data may be new, the overall takeaway is in line with the growing scientific literature.
For example, another research study found that, as opioids continue to drive overdose deaths, making medical cannabis available and affordable seems to help patients reduce their use of the prescription painkillers.
The research was conducted in conjunction with a new study which showed that medical marijuana can help patients reduce their use of medications such as sleeping pills, antidepressants, and opioids. The study, which involved more than 3500 patients, also found that they experienced fewer side effects when switching from prescription medications to cannabis.
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It also comes after President Donald Trump said marijuana can “make people feel much better” and serve as a “substitute for addictive and potentially lethal opioid painkillers.”
Last month, the Trump administration announced it is moving ahead with the federal reclassification of marijuana by moving state-legal medical cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).
About one in three Americans who use CBD say they take it as an alternative or supplement to at least one medication—particularly painkillers—according to a federally funded study published in February.
Similarly, another recent federally funded study, published by the American Medical Association (AMA), added more evidence that marijuana can serve as an effective substitute for opioids in chronic pain treatment.
Other AMA-published research has found that legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purposes is “significantly associated with reduced opioid use among patients diagnosed with cancer.”
A separate paper published in October similarly found that medical marijuana legalization is “associated with significant reductions in opioid prescribing.”
In August, meanwhile, Australian researchers published a study showing that marijuana can serve as an effective substitute for opioids in pain management treatment.
Another study published last year in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review found that, among drug users who experience chronic pain, daily cannabis use was linked to a higher likelihood of quitting the use of opioids—especially among men.
Other research also found that legalizing medical cannabis appeared to significantly reduce monetary payments from opioid manufacturers to doctors who specialize in pain, with authors finding “evidence that this decrease is due to medical marijuana becoming available as a substitute” for prescription painkillers.
Another recent study also found a decrease in opioid fatal overdoses when marijuana for adults was legalized. That study found a “consistent negative relationship” between legalization and fatal overdoses, with more significant effects in states that legalized cannabis earlier in the opioid crisis. The authors estimated that legalizing recreational marijuana “is associated” with a reduction of approximately 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 people.
The report concluded that, “Our results suggest that expanding recreational marijuana use could be a way to combat the opioid crisis.” Previous research has shown that marijuana, primarily used for medical purposes, can help reduce the number of opioid prescriptions. We also found it could reduce overdose deaths.
Another recently published report into prescription opioid use in Utah following the state’s legalization of medical marijuana found that the availability of legal cannabis both reduced opioid use by patients with chronic pain and helped drive down prescription overdose deaths statewide. The study concluded that cannabis has an important role in the management of pain and reduction of opioid usage.