States with medical marijuana laws saw 20 percent drop in some opioid prescriptions
States with active medical marijuana laws saw certain opioid prescription rates drop nearly 20 percent compared to states without medical marijuana programs, according to a first-of-its-kind study out of Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center.
Authors said the findings underscore the importance of providing patients with pain management alternatives, such as cannabis, in efforts to reduce opioid use.
Stories you may be interested in
More baby boomers use medical marijuana, but they want their doctors to get wise to the risks and benefits
Baby boomers’ marijuana use has edged upward in the past decade, but recent research suggests some still have a hard time getting a hold of the drug. Older adults want more education, more research and greater openness with their health-care providers about using medical marijuana, according to a qualitative study of older cannabis users and non-users in…
Read More $2.7 million awarded for medical marijuana research in Colorado
The state has awarded $2.7 million for research into how medical marijuana could replace opioids to ease chronic spinal pain — and how it might treat irritability in children and adolescents with autism. Read the full story here.
Read More Data Migration During EMR Changes
One of the most challenging aspects when deciding to switch to a new EMR system is how to get existing data from the old system to the new system safely, securely and accurately. Many times, the scope of this task is enough to force providers to remain with a subpar vendor even though there are…
Read More New study finds cannabis effective for treating migraines
A study published last month in the Journal of Pain found a statistically significant reduction in migraine and headache symptoms and recurrences among patients who used cannabis for treatment.Smoking cannabis reduced the severity and length of migraine episodes by nearly half. Researchers concluded that headache and migraine severity were reduced by nearly 50% after using cannabis. The study, conducted by researchers…
Read More Minnesota study finds that medical pot soothes cancer pains
Symptoms such as pain and nausea improved in cancer patients who took cannabis, according to new research that is part of Minnesota’s effort to address the information void about whether marijuana offers medical benefits. Analyzing 1,120 cancer patients who received cannabis through the state medical marijuana program, researchers reported Monday that they found noteworthy improvements…
Read More PTSD and Cannabis
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that occurs in people who witnessed or have gone through a traumatic event. That can include events such as natural disasters, war/combat, a serious accident, or personal assault, among others. People suffering from PTSD have disturbing thoughts and feelings related to the traumatic event that can last…
Read More