The Impact of Medical Cannabis on Intermittent and Chronic Opioid Users with Back Pain: How Cannabis Diminished Prescription Opioid Usage
By Kevin M. Takakuwa, Jeffrey Y. Hergenrather, Frances S. Shofer, and Raquel M. Schears
Abstract
Objective: To determine if cannabis may be used as an alternative or adjunct treatment for intermittent and chronic prescription opioid users.
Design: Retrospective cohort study.
Setting: A single-center cannabis medical practice site in California.
Patients: A total of 180 patients who had a chief complaint of low back pain were identified (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, code M54.5). Sixty-one patients who used prescription opioids were analyzed.
Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, Published online: 9 Jan 2020 https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2019.0039
