Patients in Germany reported “massive” reductions in the use of other prescription drugs such as opioids, stimulants and sleeping tablets after starting medical cannabis treatment.
The survey of 3,528 cannabis patients found an average 84.5 per cent decrease across prior medications, with more than half of respondents (average 58.9 per cent) stopping at least one medicine entirely.
The self‑reported poll, published by Bloomwell, suggests marked declines in specific drug classes. Among those previously taking sleep medications, 93.6 per cent at least halved their use and 75.5 per cent stopped altogether. For the ADHD drug methylphenidate, otherwise known as Ritalin, the average reduction was 88.4 per cent, with 77.3 per cent discontinuing use.
Opioid use fell by an average of 83.9 per cent; 61 per cent said they ceased opioids altogether, and 70 per cent of that subgroup reported no further side‑effects.
Before starting medical cannabis, respondents most commonly used non‑opioid analgesics (55.8 per cent), sleep medicines (51.5 per cent), antidepressants (26.8 per cent) and opioids (18.8 per cent).
Reports of side‑effects declined notably: 60.7 per cent said they experienced none associated with their medications after starting medical cannabis treatment. 37.9 per cent reported fewer side-effects, 1.1 per cent the same and 0.3 per cent more. Patients also cited broader benefits, with 67.8 per cent noting better concentration, 61.9 per cent more social contact and 53.9 per cent fewer work absences; negative effects were reported by under 3 per cent.
“Medical cannabis should not be a last-resort treatment,” said Dr Julian Wichmann, co-founder and chief executive of Bloomwell. “An individual therapeutic trial is appropriate early on in many cases – especially for common conditions such as sleep disorders, chronic pain or anxiety disorders. At the same time, our survey shows that we should finally discuss the great benefits of medical cannabis more openly, instead of exclusively warning about empirically unproven risks and discrediting flowers.”
The results from Germany add to a growing body of patient-reported evidence showing that medical cannabis can provide a meaningful and effective alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals. A 2026 study, which analysed data from 698 patients registered on the UK Medical Cannabis Registry, found that people living with treatment-resistant depression respond well to medical cannabis. Researchers observed improvements in depression severity, anxiety, sleep quality and health-related quality of life over 24 months, with 62% of patients reporting a meaningful improvement in their general health.
Meanwhile, a survey of 780 UK adults prescribed medical cannabis for anxiety, depression, insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions found that 97% said it improved their wellbeing and happiness, whilst 68% said it enabled them to work.
According to NHS England, 22.6% of 16 to 64-year-olds had a common mental health condition in 2024 – up from 18.9% in 2014. An estimated 1.7 million people were waiting for NHS mental health treatment in England alone in 2025. Recent data from the NHS Survey for England found that a quarter of adults in England are living with chronic pain.
An All-Party Parliamentary Group report published in 2025 found that the UK cannabis industry could be worth more than £5 billion per year and save the National Health Service (NHS) billions in healthcare costs. The findings showed that treating chronic pain with cannabis could save £1,037 per patient per annum if it were used as an alternative to normal treatment. “Given the number of people with chronic pain in the UK then the potential savings amounted to over £23.6 billion,” the report said.
