Trauma patients find relief from a treatment with cannabis according to a survey

Patients with musculoskeletal trauma profit from a treatment with cannabis according to survey data. Harvard Medical School investigators asked 500 patients at two trauma centres. The majority of patients felt that cannabis could be used to treat pain (78%) and anxiety (62%). Most patients (60%) had used cannabis at least once previously, while only 14% reported using cannabis following their injury.

Of those who used cannabis during their recovery, 90% (63 of 70) said that it reduced symptoms of pain, and 81% (57 of 70) said that it reduced the amount of opioid pain medication they used. Authors concluded that “the majority of patients in this study believed that medical marijuana is a valid treatment and that it does have a role in reducing post-injury and post-operative pain. Those patients who used marijuana during their recovery felt that it alleviated symptoms of pain and reduced their opioid intake.”