According to a study published today by the journal European Addiction Research, medical cannabis can help reduce opioid use while improving sleep, anxiety, and overall quality of life in patients with substance use disorder (SUD).
For the study, researchers analyzed data from 34 patients enrolled in the UK Medical Cannabis Registry, most of whom had a history of opioid use disorder and prior illicit cannabis use. Participants were prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs), including oils, dried flower, or a combination of both. Patient-reported outcomes were tracked over six months using validated tools for sleep quality (SQS), anxiety (GAD-7), and general health (EQ-5D-5L).
According to the study’s abstract, the goal was “to assess changes in patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) and opioid medications in individuals treated with CBMPs for SUD.” The results showed that there was “an associated improvement in health-related quality of life PROMs and reduction in prescribed opioids.” Specifically, median opioid consumption fell from 274.95 mg/day at baseline to 204.45 mg/day after six months. Improvements in sleep, anxiety, and general well-being were also statistically significant at every follow-up point.
Only 8.8% of participants reported any adverse events, and the products were “well tolerated by most individuals in this 6-month analysis.” However, the researchers emphasized that “Further evaluation through randomised controlled trials is needed to determine causality.”
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