Cannabis Laws and Opioid Use Among Commercially Insured Patients With Cancer Diagnoses

Is cannabis availability through medical or recreational cannabis dispensary openings associated with opioid prescription use among commercially insured patients diagnosed with cancer in the US?In this repeated cross-sectional study following a mean of 3.05 million patients annually, significant reductions were found in the rate of patients with cancer with opioid prescriptions, the mean daily supply, and the mean number of prescriptions per patient after medical and recreational cannabis dispensary openings.These findings indicate that medical or recreational cannabis laws may be significantly associated with reduced opioid use among patients diagnosed with cancer.

Corresponding Author: Victoria Bethel, MSN, Department of Public Administration and Policy, University of Georgia, 355 S Jackson St, Baldwin Hall, Athens, GA 30602 (vbethel@uga.edu).

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