According to a new study published in the Harm Reduction Journal this week, giving away free cannabis by harm reduction groups could reduce drug overdoses and improve the quality of life for users.
The study examined a marijuana-donation program in rural Michigan. It is the first case to document harm reduction in the United States.
Authors wrote that “while the policies around the regulation and distribution cannabis can still be barriers to this practice”, “harm reduction staff in the field are able to see the benefits of cannabis which include reduced early death, improved health, pain management, increased recovery outcomes and improved safety of clients and the community.”
The observation period, from September 2021 through May 2023, included ten “cannabis-experienced harm reduction clients” who received marijuana weekly through pickups or deliveries, “with clinical staff determining client interest and appropriateness.”
Many staff members reported the benefits they observed in their interactions with customers.
The authors reported that one person who was 50 years or older “had spinal-fusion neck surgery” (with two steel rods and three connectors installed, as well as six bolts), five months after the study began.
They continued, “This person reported that he had struggled to avoid alcohol frequently but was able to do so because he hadn’t used opioids in two years. This is evidenced by the criminal law mandated drug tests.” This individual has reported that they have completely abstained from alcohol since their surgery, and while recovering. “They expressed their gratitude for the topical pain relief provided by cannabis pain cream, vape cartridges and flower for smoking.”
The case study states that another participant, “in her 20s, was homeless, pregnant, and a methamphetamine- and opioid-dependent injector at beginning of study.” She reported that she was using methamphetamines and opioids less often after using the products donated through this program. She also actively worked with staff at harm reduction agencies to get her on MOUD (medications for opiate use disorder) while pregnant.
Researchers also examined data from a marijuana company that donated marijuana to the program. This shed light on the product types and scale of donations.
The study states that “this administrative data suggests while flower products represent most of the adult sales and medical sales but edible, oil and topical products predominated the donations.” The study says that a cost analysis shows that donations are only 1% of gross sales, and represent a much smaller amount than expected annual donation amounts.
Researchers from the Rutgers University School of Social Work, San Francisco General Hospital and RTI International are among the five authors of the paper.
The researchers described their findings “as a starting point for inquiries into cannabis donation as an harm reduction strategy” but added that further research was needed to “understand the individual-level results, public health effects, necessary legal regulation, and best practices of cannabis donation.”
The report states that “until then, given the continued overdose mortality resulting from illicitly produced synthetic contaminants and cannabis’ potential to reduce this unregulated substance consumption,” “harm reduction practitioners” will continue to support self-determination and mutual assistance in any form, including safe psychoactive substances available for drug users.
Interviews with rural Michigan program administrators were used to inform the analysis, rather than attempting to draw conclusions regarding the overall results of harm reduction programs.
It says that “While this study is the first to document the practice of donating cannabis to reduce harm in the US, this is an exploratory study and is not intended or designed to assess the outcomes related to this practice.” Instead, we describe how this process has organically occurred in a state that provides cannabis and statutes allowing for donation.
The findings, it says, show that such programs are feasible. For example the donations made by commercial marijuana businesses make up a small percentage of their overall product – about 1 percent of gross revenue.
This case study follows recent research from Canada that showed an correlation between marijuana legalization and declines of beer sales . This suggests a substitution effect, where consumers switch from one product to another.
Other studies have shown that cannabis legalization is associated with a reduction in the use both of prescription and non-prescription opioids.
In a report published in November last year, for instance, the legalization of medical marijuana was linked to “a lower frequency” of non-prescribed opioids.
A federally-funded study in August found that cannabis was significantly associated with decreased opioid cravings among people who use them without prescription. This suggests that increasing access to legal marijuana could provide a safer alternative for more people.
In a separate study conducted last year, it was found that legal accessibility to CBD products resulted in significant reductions of opioid prescriptions. State-level decreases ranged between 6.6 and 8.1 percent.
One study linked medical marijuana to reduced pain levels and decreased dependence on opioids, and other prescription medication. Another, published by the American Medical Association, found that chronic pain sufferers who used medical marijuana for more than a month experienced significant reductions in opioids.
AMA released a study that showed that approximately 1 in 3 chronic pain sufferers report using cannabis for treatment. The majority of this group have used cannabis to replace other pain medications including opioids.
According to a federal Drug Enforcement Administration study, marijuana legalization at the state level is also associated with a significant reduction in the prescribing codeine.
In a 2022 study, it was found that giving patients legal access to medical marijuana could help them reduce or stop using opioid painkillers without compromising their quality of life.
anecdotal accounts, studies based on data, and observations have all shown that cannabis is used as a substitute for traditional pharmaceutical drugs such as opioid-based painkillers or sleep medication.
A separate study, published in November last year, found that marijuana reform may have a “substitution” effect. Young adults in California reduced their consumption of alcohol and tobacco “significantly” after the cannabis law was passed.
A Gallup poll published in August last year also revealed that Americans believe marijuana is less harmful than other tobacco products, such as alcohol, cigarettes and vapes.
The American Psychiatric Association and Morning Consult released a separate survey in June that found Americans believe marijuana is significantly less harmful than alcohol, cigarettes and opioids. They also say cannabis has a lower addiction rate than all of these substances and technology.
A survey conducted in 2022 revealed that Americans believed that marijuana was less harmful than alcohol or tobacco.
Biden promotes marijuana reform in State of the Union address, a historic first
Photo by Philip Steffan.
The post Free Marijuana Could Help Reduce Drug Overdose Crisis: New Study appeared on Marijuana Moment.
