Medical Pot and PrescriptionPainkiller Combo
But researchers say doctors should be keptinformed of dual usage
WebMD News from HealthDay
By Robert Preidt
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, May 18, 2015 (HealthDay News) -- Medical marijuanausers don't appear to increase their risk for drug or alcohol abuse ifthey also take prescription painkillers, a new study finds.
While many people use medical marijuana as an alternative to narcotic(opioid) painkillers, some use both to cope with chronic pain, theresearchers said.
"We expected that persons receiving both cannabis and prescriptionopioids would have greater levels of involvement with alcohol andother drugs," said study author Brian Perron of the University ofMichigan School of Social Work in Ann Arbor.
"However, that wasn't the case -- although persons who were receivingboth medical cannabis and prescription opioids reported higher levelsof pain, they showed very few differences in their use of alcohol andother drugs compared to those receiving medical cannabis only," hesaid.
The study, published in the May issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcoholand Drugs, included 273 patients at a medical marijuana clinic inMichigan. More than 60 percent of them had also used prescriptionpainkillers in the past month.
Overall, the medical marijuana users had higher rates of alcohol anddrug use than people in the general population. But there was littledifference in use of alcohol or other drugs -- such as cocaine, sedatives,street opioids like heroin, and amphetamines -- between medicalmarijuana patients who used prescription painkillers and those who didnot use painkillers.
Communication between doctors and patients using medical marijuanais crucial, Perron said in a journal news release.
"We actually know very little about who is receiving both medicalcannabis and prescription pain medications," he said.
"Physicians do not actually 'prescribe' medical cannabis -- they onlycertify whether the patient has a qualifying condition, which allows thepatient to gain access to medical cannabis," Perron explained.
Medical marijuana dispensaries are distinct from medical pharmacies,"so physicians may not know whether a given patient is using medicalcannabis, how much, and in what form," Perron added.
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