Medical Cannabis Reduces Opioid Use for Cancer Pain in Large Israeli Study

As the opioid epidemic continues to be a grave concern for many across the world some scientists in Israel have been looking at the efficacy of medical cannabis for cancer pain; significant findings included a reduction or elimination (in some cases) of opioid use.  The study, published in the European Journal of Internal Medicine, is one of the largest in size because of the differences in medical marijuana laws in Israel.  The medical marijuana program is supported by government and academia making collection of data and logistics of sharing information, related to medical cannabis, less challenging than in other places like the US.  The study evaluated 2,970 Tikun Olam cancer patients; the authors utilized data focused on patient pain scale, quality of life, symptoms of disease, and number of concurrently consumed medications.