63% of Medical Cannabis Patients Said They Used It as a Substitute for Prescription Drugs
In a survey of 271 Canadian medical cannabis patients, 63% reported substituting cannabis for prescriptions, with 30% replacing opioids, 16% benzodiazepines, and 25% replacing alcohol.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
This survey of 271 patients enrolled in Canada's medical cannabis program revealed widespread substitution of cannabis for other substances.
The headline finding: 63% of patients reported using cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs. The most commonly substituted drug classes were pharmaceutical opioids (30%), benzodiazepines (16%), and antidepressants (12%). Patients also reported replacing alcohol (25%), tobacco (12%), and illicit drugs (3%).
Pain and mental health were the most prominent conditions for which patients found cannabis effective. The study was notable for being the first to match specific prescription drug substitution patterns to specific diagnostic categories.
Two policy-relevant findings emerged: 42% of authorized patients still purchased cannabis from illegal sources in addition to licensed producers, and over 55% were charged a fee to receive their medical recommendation, with nearly 25% paying $300 or more.
Key Numbers
271 respondents. 63% substituted cannabis for prescriptions. 30% replaced opioids. 16% replaced benzodiazepines. 12% replaced antidepressants. 25% replaced alcohol. 12% replaced tobacco. 42% still bought from illegal sources. 55% paid for medical recommendation.
How They Did This
Online survey of 271 patients registered to purchase cannabis from Tilray, a federally authorized Licensed Producer under Canada's MMPR program. The 107-question survey covered demographics, patterns of use, and cannabis substitution effects.
Why This Research Matters
The opioid crisis makes any potential substitution effect of cannabis highly relevant. If medical cannabis patients are genuinely replacing opioids, benzodiazepines, and antidepressants, this has implications for prescribing patterns, public health policy, and insurance coverage.
The Bigger Picture
This study adds to growing evidence of cannabis substitution effects, particularly for opioids. The policy findings about illegal sourcing and paid recommendations highlight tension between the medical cannabis system's goals and its practical implementation in Canada.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Self-reported data from a single licensed producer's patient base may not represent all medical cannabis users. Substitution is self-perceived and not verified by prescription records. The survey cannot determine whether patients achieved equivalent therapeutic outcomes with cannabis versus their previous medications.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do patients who substitute cannabis for opioids actually achieve comparable pain relief?
- ?Is the substitution stable long-term or do patients return to prescriptions?
- ?Does cannabis substitution reduce overall healthcare utilization and costs?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 30% of medical cannabis patients reported substituting cannabis for opioids
- Evidence Grade:
- Cross-sectional survey with self-reported substitution data from a single producer's patient base. Preliminary because substitution is self-perceived and cannot be verified.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2017, surveying patients under Canada's MMPR program.
- Original Title:
- Medical cannabis access, use, and substitution for prescription opioids and other substances: A survey of authorized medical cannabis patients.
- Published In:
- The International journal on drug policy, 42, 30-35 (2017)
- Authors:
- Lucas, Philippe(11), Walsh, Zach(19)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01441
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can medical cannabis replace prescription painkillers?
In this survey, 30% of patients reported using cannabis as a substitute for opioids. However, this is self-reported and does not prove equivalent pain relief. Whether cannabis truly replaces these medications or supplements them requires further study.
What prescriptions do medical cannabis patients replace?
The most commonly substituted drug classes were opioids (30%), benzodiazepines (16%), and antidepressants (12%). Patients also reported reducing alcohol (25%) and tobacco (12%) use.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01441APA
Lucas, Philippe; Walsh, Zach. (2017). Medical cannabis access, use, and substitution for prescription opioids and other substances: A survey of authorized medical cannabis patients.. The International journal on drug policy, 42, 30-35. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.01.011
MLA
Lucas, Philippe, et al. "Medical cannabis access, use, and substitution for prescription opioids and other substances: A survey of authorized medical cannabis patients.." The International journal on drug policy, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2017.01.011
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Medical cannabis access, use, and substitution for prescript..." RTHC-01441. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/lucas-2017-medical-cannabis-access-use
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.