Is Cannabis an Opioid-Sparing Agent for Cancer Pain?

Background: 39 states and Washington, DC, have authorized cannabis use for patients with cancer, and 24 have authorized recreational cannabis use. Systematic reviews have not shown the efficacy of cannabis for cancer-related pain. Objective: To evaluate the effect of legal cannabis availability on opiate prescribing in patients with cancer. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Data were extracted from the Optum database by state. Data on deidentified cancer patients with an opiate prescription between 2007 and 2020, aged 18 to 64 years, were correlated with state-level availability of medical cannabis or recreational cannabis. The main outcomes were number of prescriptions per 10,000 patients, mean number of prescriptions per patient, and mean days of supply per patient. Results: 3.05 million patients, average age 43.7 years, 59.0% female, were included. Medical cannabis dispensary openings were associated with a reduction in all 3 outcomes—the rate of patients with a prescr more...