The legalization of recreational marijuana has reduced the demand for expensive prescription drugs through state Medicaid programs, according to a Cornell University study published in the journal Health economics.

The analysis found that when states legalize marijuana, the volume of prescriptions in drug classes that fit medical indications for pain, depression, anxiety, sleep, psychosis, and seizures drop dramatically.

The authors noted that most cannabis research has focused on the impact of medical marijuana on the demand for prescription drugs or the impact of legalizing recreational use on the demand for opioids. This study, however, is among the first to focus on the impact of personal cannabis on a wide range of prescription drugs.

“These results have important implications,” said researcher Shyam Raman, a doctoral candidate at Cornell Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy, in a press release. “The reductions in drug use we see could result in significant savings for state Medicaid programs. The findings also point to an opportunity to reduce the harm that can result from dangerous side effects associated with certain prescription drugs.

The investigators based their study on an analysis of data extracted from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in all 50 states between 2011 and 2019. This period saw significant growth in the number of states allowing the personal use of marijuana, according to the study.

About 40 states have legalized medical marijuana which must be prescribed by a doctor. So far, about 20 states have legalized cannabis for personal use for all adults, but the authors said that number is likely to increase. In states where personal marijuana is legalized, researchers found a significant shift in demand for drugs used to treat sleep disorders and anxiety, but no real impact on drugs used to treat nausea.

The authors cautioned that cannabis use is not inherently safe, with many studies linking it to a potential trigger for anxiety and psychoses. In addition, patients who use marijuana to treat their health problems could stop seeing their doctor and therefore could create discontinuities in primary care.

REFERENCE

Access to recreational marijuana reduces demand for prescription drugs. Press release. EurekAlert; April 18, 2022. Accessed April 20, 2022. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/949996