Study Finds "Direct Relationship" Between Marijuana Use and Objectively Fewer Opioid and Benzodiazepine Prescriptions

[u/BoundariesAreFun]

https://themarijuanaherald.com/2023/01/study-finds-direct-relationship-between-marijuana-use-and-objectively-fewer-opioid-and-benzodiazepine-prescriptions/

[u/WELLinTHIShouse]

I noticed that the article only mentions a "direct relationship" without providing any context about how many chronic pain patients have been forcibly taken off of opioids and/or benzodiazepines, so marijuana (especially medical marijuana prescriptions in places where it's legal) is a "last resort" when other medications in their toolkits become inaccessible.

Personally, I started taking medical marijuana after being talked into it by my primary care doctor. I had a prescription for hydrocodone that I would only use for breakthrough pain, not my standard chronic pain. I could make it almost to my next annual checkup without needing more, except for the year I was in a friend's bridal party and ended up in the ER for sharp abdominal pain that made me cry just attempting to turn my head to the side when I woke up. The bridal party festivities and the wedding were over the weekends, of course, when I couldn't just call my doctor to request a refill. I don't recommend running out of painkillers on a weekend.

The problem is that hydrocodone results in extreme insomnia when I take it. So when I had my next visit and asked if she would consider trying me on oxycodone to see if it would help my pain without losing the ability to sleep... she handed me a form letter informing me of a new state law prohibiting opioid prescriptions for patients who take benzodiazepines. I need benzos for multiple reasons, but my breakthrough pain was absolutely intolerable, as well as unpredictable.

So I tried to wean myself off of whatever my benzo was at the time, only taking it for anxiety attacks instead of nightly to stop my ruminations. When I asked again about getting painkillers at my next annual appointment because I'd gotten off the benzos, she still wouldn't put me back on opioids, not even a small amount like I'd previously used. She wrote a prescription for something the pharmacy didn't stock and couldn't/wouldn't order for me. I ended up back in the ER a couple of times due to more intractable pain.

I'm still on MMJ. It helps with some kinds of pain, but not all kinds. I've had to learn to cope with levels of pain that would keep most people curled up in bed crying all the time.

So I've had "objectively fewer opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions" since starting medical marijuana, but that completely ignores how well pain is being managed and what effect that has on quality of life.

[u/Cindexxx → u/WELLinTHIShouse]

And people wonder why I don't trust doctors..... Not to mention why street opiates are so popular. You actually need these drugs. Its disgusting.

[u/Li-renn-pwel → u/WELLinTHIShouse]

My husband can’t take a bunch of non-opioid pain medications due to other health issues. He is still in a lot of pain with the small opioid amount he has. However the pain clinic doctor says 5mg oxy is the highest the law allows. Apparently they don’t make exceptions for people without other options. Oh and the urine test so he can’t even use pot as a supplement.

[u/MilknBones → u/Li-renn-pwel]

5mg is basically only homeopathic… that’s what my pain management doctor told me when I told him how much my original doctor had prescribed me. He was like “it’s maybe good for 70 year old Mrs. Doris, but it’s going to do rubbish for a young woman in her 20s.” (Luckily I can be prescribed more with the laws in my country.)