Study: Medicinal Cannabis Could Help Reduce Opioid Deaths and Address Global Health Inequities
The study includes contributions from researchers at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Pennsylvania, Imperial College London, Harvard, and several others.
The review draws from historical ethnopharmacology, modern scientific research, and recent global health summits to assess cannabis’ role in medicine. It notes the plant’s long history of therapeutic use, its complex taxonomy, and its wide array of bioactive compounds. Evidence continues to grow for cannabis’ effectiveness in treating conditions like chronic pain, multiple sclerosis spasticity, chemotherapy-induced nausea, and epilepsy, while also reducing reliance on opioids.
The analysis highlights successful collaborative models, such as partnerships between African farmers and biotech firms to standardize cultivation, and the FDA’s approval of a first-in-human trial of a cannabis-based drug for pancreatic cancer. Africa, in particular, is emerging as a region of opportunity, with expanding legalization efforts and the potential for a multibillion-dollar medical cannabis industry.
The authors recommend adopting the CORE framework—Care, Outreach, Research, and Education—as a guide to advance cannabis’ therapeutic potential. Priorities include establishing uniform regulations, ensuring quality assurance from cultivation to patient use, fostering global research collaborations, and expanding medical education.
“Medicinal Cannabis presents a complex yet promising solution for reducing opioid-related mortality and addressing healthcare inequities”, states the study. “Implementing strategic frameworks like CORE (Care, Outreach, Research, Education) is essential for developing safe, high-quality, evidence-based cannabis products. Through fostering collaboration and addressing existing obstacles, the therapeutic potential of medicinal Cannabis can be harnessed to mitigate the opioid crisis and reduce global health disparities, effectively translating research from farm to bedside.”
The full study can be found by clicking here.