Over 60 percent of patients in Texas who self-identify as medical marijuana consumers report that they have used it to replace prescription medications, according to survey data compiled by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy.
Nearly 2,900 people participated in the survey. Sixty-one percent said that they “replaced” prescription opioids and/or benzodiazepines with medical cannabis – a finding that is consistent with several other studies.
Also consistent with other studies, the majority of respondents reported using cannabis primarily to mitigate pain. Among those respondents who were veterans, just over half reported using cannabis to address symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Overall, four-in-ten respondents said that the use of cannabis “has improved their quality of life.”
A summary of the survey results is available from InformedTexas.org. More information is available from Texas NORML. The Executive Director of Texas NORML will be discussing the survey’s results on Monday, April 12, in a live webinar.
Additional information is available from the NORML fact-sheet, “Relationship Between Marijuana and Opioids.”
