Medical Cannabis: Time to Act

More than ever before, people are using cannabis for medical reasons. In fact, 17% of primary care patients reported using cannabis in a recent cross-sectional study. Of those cannabis users, 15.6% reported using cannabis for only medical reasons and 75.7% reported using cannabis to help manage a health symptom, like pain, stress, or sleep.¹ 

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In other words, nearly 1 in 5 primary care patients are already using cannabis and the vast majority are using it to help manage a health-related symptom. That means people are using cannabis to self-medicate, but they’re doing so without clinical guidance. 

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At the same time the cannabis industry has largely ignored the medical wellness market in favor of unhealthy, high-potency, high-profit recreational products. This is leading to an epidemic of sub-optimal, unhealthy and expensive cannabis use, evidenced by 34.7% of cannabis users at increased risk of developing cannabis use disorder (CUD).¹

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Now is the time for mainstream medicine to adopt a patient-centric approach to ensure people are using cannabis safely, effectively and affordably in a medical wellness context.

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Cannabis in Mainstream Medicine

The use of cannabis for medical purposes is not merely anecdotal – there’s growing evidence that cannabis can help with pain management, especially for chronic pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis, neuropathy, musculoskeletal conditions, cancer and fibromyalgia.^2-5 Additionally, there is emerging evidence suggesting cannabis’s role in improving sleep, reducing nausea in chemotherapy patients and alleviating symptoms of stress.⁶

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Challenges in Research and Development

Despite its medical potential, cannabis research remains limited, underfunded and plagued by regulatory constraints. The lack of large-scale, long-term studies has created a gap in understanding optimal dosing, potential drug interactions and long-term effects. That means there’s little reliable data available on efficacy, side-effects, polypharmacy or cost of care. It’s no wonder medical professionals often hesitate to discuss it with their patients with such a lack of standardized clinical guidelines. 

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What’s more, cannabis products are not consistently available throughout the U.S. and those that are available are typically focused on high potency and are not designed for those seeking its therapeutic effects.

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The Cannabis Industry’s Focus on High-Potency Products

Medical cannabis faces a range of challenges, like limited research and clinical guidelines. At the same time, the cannabis industry has increasingly prioritized high-potency THC products designed to maximize intoxication and profit. Most cannabis dispensaries cater to recreational markets, sidelining individuals seeking cannabis for its potential health and wellness benefits.

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High-potency products have raised concerns among healthcare professionals about their potential risks, including heightened anxiety, dependency, psychotic episodes and the potential to place users at higher risk of developing CUD. While these products have strong appeal for recreational consumers, they do little to serve medical patients who often benefit most from lower THC levels and higher CBD ratios. Studies have even indicated that a 1:1 THC to CBD ratio is most effective for pain management and as a sleep aid, while minimizing intoxicating effects.⁷ 

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The growing recreational market has led to the neglect of medical cannabis patients, who frequently struggle to find products specifically tailored to their needs. They often are forced to purchase products geared towards recreational use which typically have higher associated costs per dose. The average wellness consumer can spend $150-250 per month on products alone. 

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Many dispensaries do not prioritize patient education, making it difficult, confusing and uncomfortable for individuals to ask essential clinical questions about dosage, cannabinoid ratios and consumption methods suited for therapeutic use.

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The Need for a Patient-Centric Medical Cannabis Industry

To fully realize cannabis’s potential in healthcare, it’s time for the cannabis industry and mainstream medicine to form an alliance to better serve patients seeking the therapeutic benefits of cannabis in an affordable and responsible manner. Several key steps could strengthen the medical cannabis industry:

1. Increased Research and Standardization: More investment in clinical trials and regulatory-approved studies would provide necessary data to establish clear clinical guidelines.
2. Development of Patient-Specific Products: Creating affordable, low-potency products in healthier, medicalized formats (no combustibles) with efficacy, side-effect and cost-of-care data would improve clinical recommendations and help minimize risks, misuse and CUD.
3. Clinically Responsible Guidance and Care: Patients using cannabis shouldn’t have to go it alone. Patients need ongoing, clinically responsible guidance to help them define and maintain which products, doses and times of use are most right for them based on their symptoms, relevant aspects of their medical record and their daily schedule. 
4. Medical Professional Involvement: Encouraging physician education on cannabis as a treatment option, its potential benefits and potential risks would help ensure patients have access to safe, affordable, responsible cannabis products. 

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Conclusion

The time for debate on medical cannabis is over. People are using it to self-medicate and treat a wide range of symptoms, and that trend doesn’t appear to be slowing. Now is the time to ensure patients have access to safe, effective, responsible cannabis-based treatments. It’s time for an approach that provides affordable, clinically responsible cannabis guidance and care and low-potency products in healthier, medicalized forms. It’s time for a patient-centric approach that ends the epidemic of sub-optimal, unhealthy and expensive cannabis use – and brings wise use cannabis to all.

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Should cannabis be an option, we recommend you get to know EO, a provider of affordable, federally legal medical and wellness cannabis products for pain, stress, sleep and appetite. All their products come in healthy forms (no smoking or vaping), include clear instructions and can be shipped right to your door. Most importantly, every EO product comes with free clinician-led guidance via phone or email. Whenever you have questions about how you can put cannabis to work most safely and effectively, the EO team will be there to guide you.

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References:

^{1. Gelberg L, Beck D, Koerber J, et al. Cannabis Use Reported by Patients Receiving Primary Care in a Large Health System. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(6):e2414809. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.14809}

^{2. Mangual-Pérez D, Tresgallo-Parés R, Ramírez-González M, et al. Patient Experience and Perspective on Medical Cannabis as an Alternative for Musculoskeletal Pain Management. JAAOS Global Research & Reviews. 2022;6(7):e22.00055. doi:10.5435/JAAOSGlobal-D-22-00055}

^{3. Balu A, Mishra D, Marcu J, Balu G. Medical Cannabis Certification Is Associated With Decreased Opiate Use in Patients With Chronic Pain: A Retrospective Cohort Study in Delaware. Cureus. Dec 2021;13(12):e20240. doi:10.7759/cureus.20240}

^{4. Whiting PF, Wolff RF, Deshpande S, et al. Cannabinoids for Medical Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA. 2015;313(24):2456-2473. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.6358}

^{5. Vučković S, Srebro D, Vujović KS, Vučetić Č, Prostran M. Cannabinoids and Pain: New Insights From Old Molecules. Front Pharmacol. 2018;9:1259. doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.01259}

^{6. Malik Z, Baik D, Schey R. The role of cannabinoids in regulation of nausea and vomiting, and visceral pain. Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2015;17(2):429. doi:10.1007/s11894-015-0429-1}

^{7. Berman JS, Symonds C, Birch R. Efficacy of two cannabis based medicinal extracts for relief of central neuropathic pain from brachial plexus avulsion: results of a randomised controlled trial. Pain. 2004;112(3):299-306. doi:10.1016/j.pain.2004.09.013}