Study: half of patients treated with medical cannabis stop taking benzodiazepines

A new study reports that nearly half of patients taking medical cannabis has stopped taking the prescribed benzodiazepines.

«In a cohort of 146 patients who began medical cannabis treatment, 45.2% of the patients successfully discontinued their pre-existing benzodiazepine treatment,», write the study’s authors. «This finding warrants further investigation into the risks and benefits of the therapeutic use of cannabis for medical purposes and its role in relation to benzodiazepine use.»

While numerous studies have been launched to understand how medical cannabis can replace opioids in patients suffering from chronic pain or other conditions, the new study suggests that patients taking Valium, Xanax, and other popular tranquilizers to treat neurological conditions such as anxiety, insomnia, or epilepsy may find relief with cannabis. The findings were published last month in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

Canadian researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of data collected from a group of patients receiving medical cannabis treatment at a medical clinic. 146 patients were identified as regularly taking benzodiazepines at the start of their cannabis treatment.

According to their findings, 44 patients (30%) had stopped taking benzodiazepines by their first follow-up visit. Another 21 had stopped benzodiazepine treatment by their second follow-up visit, and one additional person reported having done so by the third visit. In total, 66 patients—representing 45% of the sample—stopped taking benzodiazepines after starting cannabis-based treatment.

«Patients undergoing medical cannabis treatment showed significant dropout rates after their first follow-up visit with their medical cannabis prescriber and continued to show significant dropout rates thereafter,» the study states. «Discontinuation of treatment was not associated with any of the demographic characteristics measured. Patients also reported a reduction in daily distress due to their medical condition after taking prescription cannabinoids.”

The quantity of CBD and THC does not appear to affect people who have stopped taking tranquilizers.

However, the study’s design limits our understanding of the mechanisms underlying these results. Furthermore, without information on the cannabis strains used by the patients or their consumption patterns, the authors emphasize that their results cannot be generalized.

«The study’s results are encouraging, and this research aligns with the public’s growing interest in the rapid development of the Canadian cannabis market,» lead author Chad Purcell said in a press release. «We advise the public to exercise caution. The results do not suggest that cannabis should be used as an alternative to conventional therapies. Our goal is to encourage others to advance the current understanding of cannabis by collecting more robust data on efficacy and safety, which will lead to responsible policy and recommended practices.».

«The study also helps draw more attention to the potential risks associated with benzodiazepines,» Purcell told PsyPost. «I was interested in this project because it presented an opportunity to address the issue of benzodiazepines and cannabis use, both of which are becoming increasingly prevalent. Benzodiazepines can be effective in treating many conditions, but unlike opioids, the public seems to have little awareness of the risks associated with these commonly used prescription medications.»