Setting the standard in care for medical marijuana in Arizona.
Join us on July 28th at SWC Tempe in partnership with Affordable Evaluations of Arizona to register for an Arizona Medical Marijuana Card. Pre-register by calling (480) 245-6751 or visit for the dispensary for more details. The cost is $150 for the State Fee and $100 for the doctor’s visit. Contact us at the dispensary to see if you qualify for a $25 discount off the doctor’s visit. Participants must sign up at SWC Tempe.
We look forward to seeing you.
As policymakers continue to grapple with the opioid crisis, some are setting their sights on state medical marijuana programs as a potential option for reducing opioid consumption. Measures to expand medical marijuana access for current opioid users are now taking shape in multiple states, signaling an evolving role for medical marijuana in the effort to address opioid abuse.
In Pennsylvania, opioid use disorder has recently been added as a qualifying condition for the medical marijuana program:
Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine said this form of treatment won’t be the first and only option for people in recovery, but it could be an option for some.
…“By adding opioid-use disorder as an approved medical condition under the program, we not only give physicians another tool for treatment of this devastating disease, but we allow for research to be conducted on medical marijuana’s effectiveness in treatment,” Dr. Levine said. “Only approved conditions under the law can be studied through our research program.” [Philly Voice]
Pennsylvania is indeed well positioned to produce important data due to the medical marijuana program’s research partnerships with academic institutions. This represents a unique opportunity to expand clinical knowledge of how cannabis treatment can impact opioid use disorder and the Pennsylvania Department of Health deserves credit for its leadership on this issue.
Health officials in New York State are also taking action, announcing this week that patients with a prescription for opioids will soon be eligible to participate in the medical marijuana program.
ALBANY, N.Y. (June 18, 2018) – The New York State Department of Health today announced it will develop a regulatory amendment to add opioid use as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana.
“The opioid epidemic in New York State is an unprecedented crisis, and it is critical to ensure that providers have as many options as possible to treat patients in the most effective way,” said New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker. “As research indicates that marijuana can reduce the use of opioids, adding opioid use as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana has the potential to help save countless lives across the state.” [NY.Gov]
This approach seeks to establish medical marijuana access for any patient who might otherwise rely primarily on opioid prescriptions for pain relief. It’s a forward-thinking measure that recognizes emerging evidence of marijuana’s potential to reduce opioid-related health risks:
Marijuana can be an effective treatment for pain, greatly reduces the chances of dependence and eliminates the risk of fatal overdose compared to opioid-based medications. Studies of some states with medical marijuana programs have found notable associations of reductions in opioid deaths and opioid prescribing with the availability of cannabis products. States with medical cannabis programs have been found to have lower rates of opioid overdose deaths than other states, perhaps by as much as 25 percent. Studies on opioid prescribing in some states with medical marijuana laws have noted a 5.88 percent lower rate of opioid prescribing. Adding prescribed opioid use as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana will allow individuals who use opioids to instead use medical marijuana for pain relief. [NY.Gov]
Similar efforts are underway in Illinois as well:
A painkiller prescription could become a ticket for medical marijuana in Illinois. Lawmakers there passed a bill making anyone with a prescription for opioids eligible for its medical cannabis program.
With this move, Illinois joins a growing number of states turning to legal cannabis in the fight against painkiller addiction.
“As we see the horrible damage inflicted by opioid use and misuse, it seems like a very low-cost and low-risk alternative,” says state Sen. Don Harmon, a Democrat from Oak Park, Ill., and sponsor of the Senate version of the bill. [NPR]
Together, these developments mark an important milestone in the national discussion of how best to address opioid abuse. We’re now witnessing the first examples of state medical marijuana programs setting a specific goal of reducing opioid consumption through increased patient access. This process not only expands existing programs to better serve at-risk patient populations, it also establishes a regulatory model that can inform policymakers in other states.
We’re optimistic that medical marijuana will continue to demonstrate efficacy as a safer alternative to opioids and we’re proud to serve countless patients who are already reporting significant benefits. By working together, patients, providers, and policymakers have a remarkable opportunity to reduce harm and improve health outcomes for people in pain.
The patients we serve suffer from a wide range of conditions and symptoms, but relief from depression, anxiety, and stress easily ranks among the most common treatment goals our patients share with us. These challenges can be debilitating on their own, but they also represent commonly occurring symptomatic responses to other acute conditions. Cancer patients, for example, may cite pain, fatigue, and nausea as primary physical symptoms, but also frequently describe mood-related symptoms as a similarly challenging problem for them.
Although patients have long reported success in treating depression, anxiety, and stress with medical cannabis, research on the subject is limited. For this reason, researchers at Washington State University have performed an innovative studywhich collected data from thousands of patients in an attempt to better understand if and how cannabis may be able to provide relief. Data was obtained in real time from medical marijuana patients, documenting strain selection and dosage, as well as symptom levels before and after medicating. The results show an encouraging response among the majority of respondents:
Depression:Symptom ratings were reduced in 89.3% of the sessions, increased in 3.2%, no change in 7.5%.
Anxiety:Symptom ratings were reduced in 93.5% of the sessions, increased in 2.1%, no change in 4.4%.
Stress:Symptom ratings were reduced in 93.3% of the sessions, increased in 2.7%, no change in 4%.
Both women and men reported an overall reduction in symptoms, but women reported a greater reduction in anxiety symptoms. [Forbes]
As Forbes goes on to note, the study does face limitations in terms of the self-reported nature of the data, but it does serve as a helpful jumping off point in the discussion of how and why cannabis may prove beneficial for some patients facing mood-related disorders or symptoms. For example, the results point towards a potential relationship between the type of cannabis used and the extent of symptom relief:
An analysis of the strains the app users reported smoking showed a few different outcomes depending on the percentages of THC and CBD. For depression, strains higher in CBD and lower in THC produced the largest reduction in symptoms. For anxiety, CBD and THC percentages seemed to make little difference in the results. For stress, users reported significant symptom reduction when using strains high in both CBD and THC.
Research comparing patient experiences according to cannabinoid ratios is uncommon and difficult to perform under rigorous scientific standards, but it is exactly this type of analysis which may eventually enable us to answer key questions in the science of cannabis medicine. Many patients describe strong preferences for certain strains and products based on their own treatment outcomes. An empirically-driven approach to product selection is an ideal shared by patients, physicians, and providers alike, and we welcome inquiries that seek to develop a formalized model for predicting product efficacy.
Like many other conditions our patients face, depression and anxiety present complicated symptoms that often endure despite conventional therapeutic interventions. Prescription medications can provide relief, but may not prove effective in all cases. They can also present side effects that limit their utility for some patients. The potential of cannabis medicines to provide an alternative or complementary therapy for these difficult-to-treat conditions represents yet another important area of inquiry as researchers work to inform the medical cannabis conversation.
For any patient facing a serious diagnosis and considering medical marijuana treatment, the prospect of raising the subject with one’s doctor can be intimidating. In a traditional medical setting, opinions on alternative therapies can vary and patients may understandably feel apprehensive about how to start the conversation and what reaction to expect. Interestingly, a new study from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute sheds much-needed light on how such interactions are experienced from the doctor’s perspective:
While a wide majority of oncologists do not feel informed enough about medical marijuana’s utility to make clinical recommendations, most do in fact conduct discussions on medical marijuana in the clinic and nearly half recommend it to their patients, say researchers who surveyed a population-based sample of medical oncologists.
The study, published today in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, is the first nationally-representative survey of medical oncologists to examine attitudes, knowledge and practices regarding the agent since medical marijuana became legal on the state level in the U.S. [Science Daily]
It’s a subject that interests us greatly, and the survey results provide a revealing window into both the caution and optimism with which physicians often approach medical marijuana use in the context of cancer treatment. Among the study’s most notable findings is that 70% of oncologists did not feel adequately prepared to educate their patients about medical marijuana treatment. This reflects the need for more extensive research into medical marijuana’s role in cancer treatment, but it also illustrates the lack of formal education most physicians receive with regards to existing knowledge on the subject. Although we look forward to further advancements in the science of cannabis, promising research does exist and may need to be made more available to practitioners. Similarly, physicians may find it helpful to possess a working knowledge of how and why this treatment is used in order to address practical questions many patients may have.
Encouragingly, however, the research also demonstrates support for medical marijuana treatment among many oncologists. With nearly half of respondents reporting that they’d recommended medical marijuana use to patients, it’s clear that they see promise in this treatment option and frequently view the benefits as outweighing the risks. Traditional interventions such as chemotherapy can carry harsh side-effects, and it’s understandable that practitioners would see potential in cannabis as a complementary treatment.
In our own experience working with cancer patients, its benefits for many appeared tangible and, at times, deeply moving. Our patients have shared their experiences regaining weight and strength, relieving pain enough to permit activities and visits with family, overcoming depression and improving their outlook, and many other ways in which cannabis treatment played an important role in empowering them to fight the disease. Their stories inspire us to do the work we do and we have no doubt that others involved in their care are seeing these benefits as well.
In the years to come, we hope that medical science will continue to answer critical questions and usher in the next generation of cannabis medicine. Today, the challenge we face is that of making sure those who suffer have access to the safest and most beneficial treatment options we can provide. We’re grateful to the hard-working professionals in the oncology field for their dedication and their willingness to recommend medical marijuana to patients in need. We’ll continue working closely with practitioners to provide the best information possible, the best care possible, and ultimately the best lives possible for those we serve. Learn more with SWC Arizona.
Read More: Study Finds Many Cancer Patients Use Medical Marijuana But Want More Information
The public health consequences of opioid abuse have captured considerable attention among policy makers and the press in recent years, yet there remains no clear consensus on how best to address the issue. As the search for solutions continues, professional sports are providing a new forum for the growing debate over whether medical marijuana can play a role in providing safer pain management:
(CNN) NFL running back Mike James calls it his medicine for pain management, but league officials call it a banned substance. Now, James’ athletic career is hanging in limbo because he chose pot over pills.
In 2013, James was prescribed opioid painkillers after injuring his left ankle in a Monday night football game. Within weeks, he developed a dangerous dependency on the drugs.
To get off of the opioids, he turned to medical marijuana for his pain.
James’s story is, in so many ways, familiar to us. What began with a painful injury and a doctor’s prescription soon evolved into a cycle of dependence. As the injury healed, a different and more complicated health challenge slowly took hold. This trade-off is one our patients have described to us on countless occasions. Similarly, the sense of hope that returned to James’s life when he discovered that medical marijuana could treat his pain without devastating side effects is one our patients have shared with us as well.
Still, for James and many others, the challenge of accessing medical marijuana and educating others about its benefits remains. He became the first NFL player to seek the right to medical marijuana treatment through a therapeutic use exemption and was denied by the NFL. His career prospects are now placed on hold, and others dealing with injuries in professional football are receiving a message that opioid drugs are permitted, but a promising alternative is not.
Fortunately, James has vowed to continue advocating on behalf of himself and others who rely on medical marijuana to relieve their pain and improve their quality of life. His predicament mirrors that of many Americans whose challenges are less public, but just as poignant in the discussion of medical marijuana’s potential to reduce the harms of opioid prescriptions. The stigma that many patients feel when discussing medical marijuana with employers and health care providers is very real, but the importance of this treatment option is also recognized by more Americans than ever before. As new voices and new data continue to inform the conversation, we’re hopeful that a day is coming when no patient who needs medical marijuana will be told they can’t consider it. You can always learn more with SWC Arizona in Tempe, AZ.
Read More:
Medical Marijuana: Safer Alternative to Opioids?
Cannabis and Chronic Pain: Finding Relief
