The journal European Addiction Research recently published a new analysis on the impact of cannabis on individuals with substance use disorder. In the article, titled “UK Medical Cannabis Registry: A Clinical Analysis of Patients with Substance Use Disorder” the investigators examined 34 individuals with substance use disorders (SUD), primarily opioid use disorder, enrolled in the U.K. Medical Cannabis Registry All patients in the analysis were prescribed cannabis‑based medicinal products. Outcomes assessed were patient‑reported measures like health‑related quality of life, sleep quality, and anxiety at 1, 3, and 6 months, plus changes in opioid use (converted to oral morphine equivalent), and tolerability.

There are multiple studies that have demonstrated opioid burden is reduced when cannabis-based medication is added. We can look to other states’ data to predict if Kentucky’s OUD rates (and overdose deaths) will decline when patients can legally access cannabis medicine.