Among 860 participants in Illinois' Opioid Alternative Pilot Program, quality of life averaged between "good" and "fair" with no significant difference between cannabis users and non-users.
People in opioid alternative programs, policymakers, and pain management clinicians.
Quality of life: users 2.86 vs non-users 2.85 (p=0.92)
What the researchers found
Quality of life averaged 2.86 (between "good" and "fair") across the full sample, with no significant difference between non-users (2.85) and cannabis users (2.86, p=0.92). Logistic regression showed cannabis use within the past year was not significantly associated with quality of life (OR 1.33, 95% CI 0.85-2.08, p=0.21).
Why it matters
Quality of life is a key outcome for opioid alternative programs. The null finding, like the companion psychological well-being study, suggests cannabis substitution is neither dramatically beneficial nor harmful for overall quality of life, though the "good to fair" average across both groups indicates room for improvement.
The numbers in context
860 participants. QoL: non-users 2.85, users 2.86, p=0.92. Logistic regression: OR 1.33 (95% CI 0.85-2.08, p=0.21). Average age 47, 60% male, 67% married.
How the study worked
Same cohort as the psychological well-being study (RTHC-06372): survey of OAPP enrollees from February-July 2019. Cannabis users (n=626) vs non-users (n=234) were compared on quality of life using ordered logistic and backward stepwise regression.
What this study cannot tell us
Same limitations as RTHC-06372: cross-sectional, self-selected, no baseline, limited sensitivity of a single QoL measure. Pain being a qualifying condition may have created a floor effect on quality of life that cannabis could not overcome.
How to read the evidence
Cross-sectional survey with no baseline measurement, same cohort and limitations as companion study.
When this study was published
Published in 2025, using 2019 survey data.
The bigger picture
Taken together with the companion study on psychological well-being, the picture for Illinois' OAPP is one of neutrality: cannabis substitution appears to be a lateral move for overall well-being and quality of life. The real benefit may lie in reduced opioid use and its associated risks rather than in improved subjective quality of life.
Questions still open
- Would quality of life improve with longer cannabis use? Is the real benefit of opioid substitution programs better measured by reduced opioid-related harms rather than quality of life? Would disease-specific quality of life measures be more sensitive?
Common questions
Should I expect medical cannabis to improve my quality of life?
Read the original research
The association of medical cannabis use with quality of life in Illinois' opioid alternative pilot program.
Journal of epidemiology and population health, 73(1), 202803
Citation
Dubois, Cerina; Bobitt, Julie; Ding, Lei; Eurich, Dean T; Knapp, Ashley A; Jordan, Neil. (2025). The association of medical cannabis use with quality of life in Illinois' opioid alternative pilot program.. Journal of epidemiology and population health, 73(1), 202803. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeph.2024.202803
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