Medical marijuana legalization was associated with lower rates of opioid dispensing and fewer pain-related hospital visits among some adults being treated for newly diagnosed cancer.
Oncologists, pain management specialists, health policy researchers
5.6 percentage point reduction in opioid dispensing among breast cancer patients with prior opioid use
What the researchers found
In a difference-in-differences analysis of 58,195 cancer patients across 34 states, medical marijuana legalization was associated with a 5.6 percentage point reduction in opioid dispensing among breast cancer patients with recent opioid use and a 6.3 percentage point reduction in pain-related hospital events among lung cancer patients.
Why it matters
Published in JAMA Oncology, this study provides large-scale evidence that medical marijuana legalization may offer cancer patients alternatives to opioids for pain management, at a time when opioid prescribing in cancer care has been declining rapidly.
The numbers in context
38,189 breast cancer patients; 12,816 colorectal cancer patients; 7,190 lung cancer patients; 5.6 percentage point reduction in opioid days for breast cancer (P=.001); 6.3 percentage point reduction in pain-related hospital events for lung cancer (P=.03)
How the study worked
Cross-sectional study using 2012-2017 national commercial claims data with a difference-in-differences design. Examined privately insured patients aged 18-64 newly diagnosed with breast, colorectal, or lung cancer across 34 states.
What this study cannot tell us
Limited to privately insured patients aged 18-64, excluding Medicare and Medicaid populations. Cannot confirm patients actually used marijuana. Observational design cannot establish causation.
How to read the evidence
Large-scale difference-in-differences analysis published in a top-tier journal, though observational design limits causal inference.
When this study was published
Published 2023 using 2012-2017 data
The bigger picture
As states continue to expand cannabis legalization, understanding its effects on opioid prescribing patterns in cancer care could inform both policy decisions and clinical pain management strategies.
Questions still open
- Do these patterns hold for older cancer patients on Medicare? Are patients substituting cannabis for opioids, or are other factors driving the reduction?
Common questions
Did medical marijuana legalization reduce opioid use in cancer patients?
Were there fewer pain-related hospital visits?
Read the original research
Medical Marijuana Legalization and Opioid- and Pain-Related Outcomes Among Patients Newly Diagnosed With Cancer Receiving Anticancer Treatment.
JAMA oncology, 9(2), 206-214
Citation
Bao, Yuhua; Zhang, Hao; Bruera, Eduardo; Portenoy, Russell; Rosa, William E; Reid, M Carrington; Wen, Hefei. (2023). Medical Marijuana Legalization and Opioid- and Pain-Related Outcomes Among Patients Newly Diagnosed With Cancer Receiving Anticancer Treatment.. JAMA oncology, 9(2), 206-214. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaoncol.2022.5623
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