Medical Marijuana Helps Depression, Pain And Anxiety Patients While Reducing Prescription Drug Use, New Study Shows

“Prescription medication use decreased significantly after medical cannabis use,” says the new report, published in the Journal of Nurse Practitioners.

By Ben Adlin, Marijuana Moment

A new study finds that medical marijuana is associated with reduced prescription drug use and improved well-being and symptom intensity among Appalachian adults who suffer from anxiety, depression, insomnia and chronic pain. The researchers behind the paper are urging more cannabis education for healthcare providers, who they says are the main source of information for patients.

“Prescription medication use decreased significantly after medical cannabis use,” says the new report, published in the Journal of Nurse Practitioners. “Health characteristics and symptom intensity improved significantly after medical cannabis use.”

The researchers, who are two nurse practitioners associated with Clinic 420 as well as an eminent scholar at Old Dominion University and a nurse scientist at the school, surveyed 31 patients at a medical marijuana center located in rural Virginia. Patients were limited to adults 18 and older in federally designated Appalachian counties and cities, the team said, and included only patients using cannabis for chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety or depression.

“Prescription medication use decreased significantly after medical cannabis use.”

Respondents were scored on six measures of prescription medication use, general health, quality of life, medical cannabis knowledge, condition severity and general health beliefs.