| Title |
Cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs – a cross-sectional study
|
|---|---|
| Published in |
Journal of Pain Research, May 2017
|
| DOI | 10.2147/jpr.s134330 |
| Pubmed ID | |
| Authors |
James M Corroon, Laurie K Mischley, Michelle Sexton |
| Abstract |
The use of medical cannabis is increasing, most commonly for pain, anxiety and depression. Emerging data suggest that use and abuse of prescription drugs may be decreasing in states where medical cannabis is legal. The aim of this study was to survey cannabis users to determine whether they had intentionally substituted cannabis for prescription drugs. A total of 2,774 individuals were a self-selected convenience sample who reported having used cannabis at least once in the previous 90 days. Subjects were surveyed via an online anonymous questionnaire on cannabis substitution effects. Participants were recruited through social media and cannabis dispensaries in Washington State. A total of 1,248 (46%) respondents reported using cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs. The most common classes of drugs substituted were narcotics/opioids (35.8%), anxiolytics/benzodiazepines (13.6%) and antidepressants (12.7%). A total of 2,473 substitutions were reported or approximately two drug substitutions per affirmative respondent. The odds of reporting substituting were 4.59 (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.87-5.43) greater among medical cannabis users compared with non-medical users and 1.66 (95% CI, 1.27-2.16) greater among those reporting use for managing the comorbidities of pain, anxiety and depression. A slightly higher percentage of those who reported substituting resided in states where medical cannabis was legal at the time of the survey (47% vs. 45%, p=0.58), but this difference was not statistically significant. These patient-reported outcomes support prior research that individuals are using cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs, particularly, narcotics/opioids, and independent of whether they identify themselves as medical or non-medical users. This is especially true if they suffer from pain, anxiety and depression. Additionally, this study suggests that state laws allowing access to, and use of, medical cannabis may not be influencing individual decision-making in this area. |
X Demographics
The data shown below were collected from the profiles of 282 X users who shared this research output. Click here to find out more about how the information was compiled.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 158 | 56% |
| Canada | 15 | 5% |
| United Kingdom | 8 | 3% |
| Australia | 4 | 1% |
| Italy | 3 | 1% |
| South Africa | 2 | <1% |
| Chile | 2 | <1% |
| Cameroon | 1 | <1% |
| Switzerland | 1 | <1% |
| Other | 11 | 4% |
| Unknown | 77 | 27% |
Demographic breakdown
| Type | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Members of the public | 168 | 60% |
| Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 100 | 35% |
| Scientists | 10 | 4% |
| Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 4 | 1% |
Mendeley readers
The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 280 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.
Geographical breakdown
| Country | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1 | <1% |
| Unknown | 279 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
| Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Student > Master | 39 | 14% |
| Researcher | 35 | 13% |
| Student > Ph. D. Student | 29 | 10% |
| Student > Bachelor | 27 | 10% |
| Student > Doctoral Student | 21 | 8% |
| Other | 48 | 17% |
| Unknown | 81 | 29% |
| Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
|---|---|---|
| Medicine and Dentistry | 62 | 22% |
| Psychology | 22 | 8% |
| Nursing and Health Professions | 22 | 8% |
| Social Sciences | 21 | 8% |
| Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 18 | 6% |
| Other | 40 | 14% |
| Unknown | 95 | 34% |
Attention Score in Context
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 281. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 09 August 2023.
All research outputs
#129,146
of 25,818,700 outputs
Outputs from Journal of Pain Research
#23
of 2,011 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#2,792
of 325,702 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Journal of Pain Research
#1
of 56 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,818,700 research outputs across all sources so far. Compared to these this one has done particularly well and is in the 99th percentile: it's in the top 5% of all research outputs ever tracked by Altmetric.
So far Altmetric has tracked 2,011 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 14.5. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 98% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 325,702 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 99% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 56 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has done particularly well, scoring higher than 98% of its contemporaries.