Medical Cannabis and Opioid Receipt Among Adults With Chronic Pain

Is participation in the New York State (NYS) medical cannabis program associated with reduced prescription opioid receipt among adults with chronic pain?In this cohort study of 204 adults with chronic pain, participation in the NYS medical cannabis program, defined as monthly dispensation of medical cannabis reported by the dispensary pharmacist, was associated with significantly reduced prescription opioid receipt.These findings suggest that participation in a pharmacist-directed medical cannabis program may help reduce prescription opioid receipt among adults with chronic pain.

Corresponding Author: Deepika E. Slawek, MD, MPH, MS, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 111 E 210th St, Bronx, NY 10467 (dslawek@montefiore.org).

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