Older veterans using medical cannabis reported improved pain and sleep, with some reducing opioid use
In a longitudinal survey of older US veterans enrolled in Illinois' medical cannabis program, participants reported improvements in pain, sleep, and emotional problems, and 44% of those initially co-using opioids stopped opioid use by follow-up.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Older veterans reported positive outcomes for pain, sleep, and emotional problems across two survey periods. Among co-users, 44.1% of those using both cannabis and opioids initially reported stopping opioids by follow-up, while 20.4% of cannabis-only users added opioids. About 62% and 85% reported no change in memory and falls, respectively.
Key Numbers
44.1% of cannabis-opioid co-users stopped opioids at follow-up; 20.4% of cannabis-only users started opioids; 62% no change in memory; 85% no change in falls; only 3% and 1% reported negative memory and fall outcomes; changes in opioid use not statistically significant
How They Did This
Longitudinal survey of older US veterans enrolled in the Illinois Medical Cannabis Patient Program, with two survey periods assessing health outcomes, substance use, and opioid co-use patterns. Logistic regression examined factors associated with cannabis-opioid co-use.
Why This Research Matters
Older veterans face high rates of chronic pain and opioid use. Evidence that medical cannabis may help some reduce opioid reliance while maintaining pain relief is relevant to veteran healthcare policy.
The Bigger Picture
As the veteran population ages, finding alternatives to opioids for chronic pain management becomes increasingly important. Medical cannabis may play a role, though the non-significant statistical findings underscore the need for larger studies.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small self-selected sample; self-reported outcomes without clinical verification; changes in opioid use were not statistically significant; no control group; enrolled in medical cannabis program so inherently favorable toward cannabis
Questions This Raises
- ?Would these opioid reduction trends reach significance in a larger sample?
- ?What clinical and contextual factors determine which veterans successfully substitute cannabis for opioids?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 44% of opioid co-users stopped opioids at follow-up
- Evidence Grade:
- Small longitudinal survey of self-selected medical cannabis patients. Suggestive findings but changes in opioid use did not reach statistical significance.
- Study Age:
- 2024 publication with longitudinal survey data
- Original Title:
- Characteristics of Cannabis and Opioid Users Among Older U.S. Veterans and Their Health Outcomes: A Longitudinal Perspective.
- Published In:
- Journal of psychoactive drugs, 56(2), 157-167 (2024)
- Authors:
- Kang, Hyojung(3), Clary, Kelly(2), Zhao, Ziang, Quintero Silva, Laura, Bobitt, Julie
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05414
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Did medical cannabis help older veterans reduce opioid use?
Among veterans who were using both cannabis and opioids at the start of the study, 44.1% reported no longer using opioids at follow-up. However, this change was not statistically significant due to the small sample size, so the finding needs confirmation in larger studies.
Were there cognitive or safety concerns?
Most veterans reported no changes in memory (62%) or falls (85%), with only 3% and 1% reporting negative outcomes for these measures respectively. Veterans also reported positive effects on pain, sleep, and emotional problems across both survey periods.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05414APA
Kang, Hyojung; Clary, Kelly; Zhao, Ziang; Quintero Silva, Laura; Bobitt, Julie. (2024). Characteristics of Cannabis and Opioid Users Among Older U.S. Veterans and Their Health Outcomes: A Longitudinal Perspective.. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 56(2), 157-167. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2023.2186286
MLA
Kang, Hyojung, et al. "Characteristics of Cannabis and Opioid Users Among Older U.S. Veterans and Their Health Outcomes: A Longitudinal Perspective.." Journal of psychoactive drugs, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2023.2186286
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Characteristics of Cannabis and Opioid Users Among Older U.S..." RTHC-05414. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/kang-2024-characteristics-of-cannabis-and
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.