Majority of Texas patients prefer medical cannabis over prescription drugs

A new survey conducted in Texas reveals that 61 per cent of respondents who are part of the state’s medical cannabis program turn to the herb as replacement for prescription drugs.

Almost 2,900 people participated in the survey by Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy along with the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) regarding their medical cannabis use.

“Our recent survey of 2,866 Texas residents who use medical cannabis sought to gain insight into the needs and experiences of this population,” notes the survey, which was conducted online between Aug. 11, 2020, and Oct. 6, 2020. The participants were recruited through medical cannabis patient networks and about 22 per cent of them were military veterans.

The majority of medical marijuana patients in Texas reported that they used cannabis to cope with pain management. Closely behind stood veterans, who used the drug to treat symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Notable results include the fact that 39 per cent of respondents believed cannabis has improved their way of life and 84 per cent had considered leaving Texas in order to live in a state with more inclusive medical marijuana policies.

These sentiments aren’t new, with several studies looking into cannabis use and its impact on use of prescription drugs. In 2019, almost 50,000 people in the U.S. died from opioid-involved overdoses.

Cannabis remains illegal in a federal level, but as more and more states implement medical marijuana programs, the medical community uncovers more information about the drug, its risks and its therapeutic impact.

While it’s unlikely that cannabis will become a straight solution to the opioid problem in the U.S., states with legal medical marijuana programs allows doctors there to treat common and debilitating conditions with an alternative.