{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]],"date-time":"2026-07-21T04:58:13Z","timestamp":1784609893911,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":18,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","issue":"11","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2019,5,25]],"date-time":"2019-05-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1558742400000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Ann Pharmacother"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2019,11]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: There is currently little evidence regarding the use of medical cannabis for the treatment of intractable pain. Literature published on the subject to date has yielded mixed results concerning the efficacy of medical cannabis and has been limited by study design and regulatory issues. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine if the use of medical cannabis affects the amount of opioids and benzodiazepines used by patients on a daily basis. Methods: This single-center, retrospective cohort study evaluated opioid and benzodiazepine doses over a 6-month time period for patients certified to use medical cannabis for intractable pain. All available daily milligram morphine equivalents (MMEs) and daily diazepam equivalents (DEs) were calculated at baseline and at 3 and 6 months. Results: A total of 77 patients were included in the final analysis. There was a statistically significant decrease in median MME from baseline to 3 months (\u221232.5 mg; P = 0.013) and 6 months (\u221239.1 mg; P = 0.001). Additionally, there was a non\u2013statistically significant decrease in median DE at 3 months (\u22123.75 mg; P = 0.285) and no change in median DE from baseline to 6 months (\u22120 mg; P = 0.833). Conclusion and Relevance: Over the course of this 6-month retrospective study, patients using medical cannabis for intractable pain experienced a significant reduction in the number of MMEs available to use for pain control. No significant difference was noted in DE from baseline. Further prospective studies are warranted to confirm or deny the opioid-sparing effects of medical cannabis when used to treat intractable pain.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/1060028019854221","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2019,5,25]],"date-time":"2019-05-25T03:32:16Z","timestamp":1558755136000},"page":"1081-1086","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":30,"title":["Medical Cannabis: Effects on Opioid and Benzodiazepine Requirements for Pain Control"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"53","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1505-4178","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Megan","family":"O\u2019Connell","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"HealthEast St Joseph\u2019s Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Megan","family":"Sandgren","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"HealthEast Woodwinds Health Campus, Woodbury, MN, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Leah","family":"Frantzen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"HealthEast St Joseph\u2019s Hospital, St Paul, MN, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Erika","family":"Bower","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"HealthEast Rice Street Clinic, Maplewood, MN, USA"},{"name":"HealthEast Pain Center, Maplewood, MN, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brian","family":"Erickson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"HealthEast Pain Center, Maplewood, MN, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2019,5,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"bibr1-1060028019854221","unstructured":"Minnesota Department of Health. Intractable pain certification in the MN Medical Cannabis Program: a primer for health care practitioners. https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/people\/cannabis\/docs\/practitioners\/intractableprimer.pdf. Accessed May 14, 2019."},{"key":"bibr2-1060028019854221","unstructured":"Minnesota Department of Health. Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program: patient experiences from the first year. https:\/\/www.health.state.mn.us\/people\/cannabis\/about\/firstyearreport.html. Accessed May 14, 2019."},{"key":"bibr3-1060028019854221","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/tcrm.s1928"},{"key":"bibr4-1060028019854221","volume-title":"Benefits and Harms of Cannabis in Chronic Pain or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Systematic Review","author":"Kansagara D","year":"2017"},{"key":"bibr5-1060028019854221","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0187795"},{"key":"bibr6-1060028019854221","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.outlook.2017.08.012"},{"key":"bibr7-1060028019854221","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1097\/AJP.0000000000000364"},{"key":"bibr8-1060028019854221","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2147\/JPR.S123487"},{"key":"bibr9-1060028019854221","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2015.6358"},{"key":"bibr10-1060028019854221","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2044.2004.03674.x"},{"key":"bibr11-1060028019854221","first-page":"e372","volume":"61","author":"Deshpande A","year":"2015","journal-title":"Can Fam Physician"},{"key":"bibr12-1060028019854221","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ejp.1118"},{"key":"bibr13-1060028019854221","unstructured":"GlobalRPH.com. 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