Medical cannabis is highly effective for chronic pain management according to a major new survey, with the vast majority of patients reporting substantial improvements and many able to reduce or eliminate prescription medications.
The survey, conducted by Green Health Docs, involved 1,450 medical cannabis patients in the US managing chronic pain. Participants were asked how often they use cannabis, how effective they find it as a treatment, and whether it helped them reduce their use of prescription medications.
The results showed that 86% of respondents experienced moderate to significant pain improvement, with 55.5% reporting significant improvement and 30.6% describing moderate improvement compared to before using cannabis. The effectiveness ratings were particularly impressive, with 72.4% of patients rating cannabis between 8 and 10 out of 10 for pain relief.
Significantly, the survey revealed substantial reductions in prescription medication use among patients who began using medical cannabis. Before trying cannabis, 48% of surveyed patients were using prescription painkillers.
After incorporating cannabis into their treatment regimens, 35% stopped all prescription pain medications entirely, whilst 14.8% stopped some medications and 11.6% reduced their dosage or frequency. Only 18% reported no change in prescription medication consumption.
“Many participants highlighted the lower risk of overdose compared to opioids, a more manageable side-effect profile, and the flexibility of different product formats,” said Dr Anand Dugar of Green Health Docs. “These factors explain why so many choose cannabis as a safer long-term strategy.”
The survey found that 72.7% of respondents use cannabis daily for pain relief, indicating that patients view it as an essential part of their ongoing care rather than an occasional treatment option.
This pattern of consistent use aligns with the chronic nature of the conditions being treated. More than half of respondents (51.5%) reported that they have lived with pain for over a decade, whilst another 39.3% have endured it for 3-10 years.
87.8% of patients said cannabis feels like a sustainable solution for managing their chronic pain over time.
Beyond direct pain relief, patients frequently described additional benefits including better sleep, increased mobility, and reduced anxiety. “These improvements compound to make a meaningful difference in day-to-day life,” Dr Dugar noted.
The survey results add to a growing body of research suggesting cannabis can serve as an effective alternative to opioid medications for pain management, potentially offering a safer long-term option for patients who have struggled with conventional treatments.
It is estimated that between one-third and one-half of the UK population (just under 28 million adults) is affected by chronic pain. Data suggests that conditions such as back pain cost the NHS around £400 million per year, and treating the two most common forms of arthritis sets the economy back £10.2 billion in direct expenses to the NHS and wider healthcare system in 2017 alone.
Recent analysis by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), commissioned by Curaleaf Clinic, showed that adopting cannabis as a treatment by the NHS could add £4.5bn to the economy over five years and £13.3bn over a decade.
