Study: 65% of recreational cannabis users use it to relieve pain

A study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs has recently examined the reasons why recreational cannabis users consume the substance. A majority of those surveyed indicated that they obtained cannabis for therapeutic purposes, particularly to alleviate chronic pain.

The study was conducted at two dispensaries in Colorado among adults who came to purchase recreational cannabis. Of the 1,000 people surveyed, 65% reported using it to relieve pain, and among them, 80% reported that this method was «very» or «extremely» effective. People who had previously used painkillers or sedatives in their daily lives also reported having replaced those products with cannabis, which they considered more effective. 74% of those surveyed indicated that cannabis helped them sleep, and among them, 84% specified that they found the substance «very» or «extremely» effective. 87% of users of over-the-counter or prescription sleep aids reported having completely or partially replaced these medications with cannabis.

The researcher Julia Arnsten also said «As people develop a tolerance to opioids, they need higher doses to achieve the same effect. This means that patients with chronic pain often increase their opioid dosage over time, and thus their risk of overdose.» Cannabis could thus help reduce dependence on painkillers. Indeed, the study notes that 20% of American adults suffer from chronic pain, and that one-third of them have difficulty falling asleep and are therefore sleep-deprived.

Dr. Marcus Bachhuber, a psychiatrist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, and project director states that their «results suggest that medical use de facto »could be widespread among adult users, and that access to an adult cannabis market could influence the use of other medications." This recreational use of cannabis is therefore similar to that of medical cannabis. The study also shows that this form of self-medication is linked to difficulties in accessing medical services and competent healthcare professionals, as well as to the stigma associated with the prescription of medical cannabis.