Therapeutic Cannabis Users Less Likely to Use Opioids

published on May 29, 2020 by Emily Ledger in The Cannabis Exchange

According to a recent study carried out by researchers in British Columbia, Canada, people who use cannabis for therapeutic purposes are less likely to use, and overdose on, opioids. The study’s findings add to a growing body of evidence supporting cannabis use as a harm reduction strategy.

The study, recently published in the PlosOne Journal, was undergone by researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU). It assessed interviews form 900 illicit drug users in Vancouver, BC, who used cannabis between 2016 and 2018.

It was recorded that a large proportion of the participants use cannabis for therapeutic reasons. Participants reported a number of uses, for example, to relieve pain, improve sleep, address nausea. Although the majority of participants reported therapeutic benefit, some reported using cannabis for simply recreational purposes…