Covering the costs of medical marijuana through workers’ compensation could be a “viable” option that improves health outcomes and leads to voluntary reductions in opioid use, according to a study led by Colorado state officials.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s Division of Workers’ Compensation (DOWC) conducted the first-of-its-kind experiment as part of its Alternative Pain Management Program, following a rigorously screened chronic pain patient for a year to assess the potential impact of medical cannabis reimbursements.
The study, published in the Journal of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, resulted in “meaningful life improvements,” no adverse events and voluntary reductions in opioid use.
The patient who received compensation for non-inhalable cannabis reported lower pain levels, as well as improved physical functioning, quality of life and psychosocial stability. The reduction in opioid use, which did not involve any tapering requirements, was initially “modest.”
“Due to improved symptom control under clinical supervision, the participant voluntarily reduced monthly opioid intake by 17%,” Colorado officials said. “Since the final compilation of the study’s data, the participant successfully transitioned off both opioids and THC completely, relying only on less psychoactive cannabinoids.”
“This program evaluation suggests that medical cannabis reimbursement may be a viable option for very select
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