Category: Marijuana

Marijuana

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Cannabis as a Substitute for Prescription Drugs

Cannabis as a Substitute for Prescription Drugs

A recent study by researchers from the Bastyr University Research Institute found that adults often substitute cannabis for the use of prescription medications.  The study was published in the Journal of Pain Research.

The study notes that the use of medical cannabis is increasing, most commonly for pain, anxiety and depression.  Emerging data suggest that use and abuse of prescription drugs may be decreasing in states where medical cannabis is legal.  The aim of the study was to survey cannabis users to determine whether they had intentionally substituted cannabis for prescription drugs.

A total of 2,774 individuals were a self-selected convenience sample who reported having used cannabis at least once in the previous 90 days.  A total of 1,248 (46%) respondents reported using cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs.  The most common classes of drugs substituted were narcotics/opioids (35.8%), anxiolytics/ benzodiazepines (13.6%) and antidepressants (12.7%).

These patient-reported outcomes support prior research that individuals are using cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs, particularly, narcotics/opioids, and independent of whether they identify themselves as medical or non-medical users.  This is especially true if they suffer from pain, anxiety and depression.

See the full report – Cannabis as a Substitute for Prescription Drugs.

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Protection Extended for State Medical Marijuana Programs

US Congress Protects State Marijuana

The Appropriations Bill recently passed by the US Congress and signed by the President extended protection for state medical marijuana programs.  The extension lasts through September 30, 2017, when Congress will need to either reauthorize the language or let the provisions expire.

Section 537 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 prohibits the use of federal funds to prevent states from implementing their own laws that allow for the use, cultivation, distribution, or possession of medical cannabis.  That language was initially passed by Congress in 2014 as the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment and is now known as the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment.

In August, 2016, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in United States v. McIntosh, 833 F.3d 1163, 1177 (9th Cir. 2016), unanimously ruled that the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment bars the federal government from taking legal action against any individual involved in medical marijuana related activity absent evidence that the defendant is in clear violation of state law.

Because the provision is included as part of a Congressional spending package and does not explicitly amend the US Controlled Substances Act, members must re-authorize the amendment annually.