Can Medical Cannabis Affect Opioid Use?

NCT ID: NCT06206252

Last Updated: 2025-02-14

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

110 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-09-07

Study Completion Date

2026-01-31

Brief Summary

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The goal of this observational study is to learn how medical cannabis (MC) affects pain and the use of opioid pain medications. Participants who have chronic pain and use prescribed opioid pain medication will opt-in to using MC or not for the 3-month study. Participants who are certified in Pennsylvania will purchase specific medical cannabis products at a reduced cost from a partnering medical cannabis dispensary monthly. All participants will complete baseline, daily, and monthly assessments to observe changes across groups.

Detailed Description

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The primary aim is to observe if individuals who have chronic pain that they are treating with opioids and medical cannabis report changes in pain severity, function, and opioid use compared to those who do not use medical cannabis.

Secondary aims include observation of whether the use of medical cannabis differentially impacts tolerability (side effects, risk of cannabis use disorder), sleep-related symptoms, or quality of life and mental health among chronic opioid users.

There will be two groups, participants who are certified to use medical cannabis and those who do not use any cannabis. All participants will complete a baseline survey to report demographics, pain, sleep, mental health, well-being, quality of life, and use of medications. Some of these questions will be repeated monthly. Participants will also receive a link via text to a daily survey to report daily prescription opioid use and medical cannabis use (if applicable) as well as pain severity and interference.

Participants who purchase medical cannabis at Ethos will be randomized and restricted to one formulation of medical cannabis (vaporization or tincture) for the study duration. They will purchase three different compositions of the specific medical cannabis formulation at a reduced cost over 3 months and the order of those compositions will be randomized. They will purchase one composition per month and they will not know which one they are purchasing. The three different compositions are:

* A composition that is predominantly THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)
* A composition that is predominantly CBD (Cannabidiol)
* A composition that is a one-to-one blend of THC and CBD

Conditions

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Chronic Pain Pain

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

CASE_CONTROL

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

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Medical Cannabis Group

Participants will use designated medical cannabis products for the study duration.

Medical Cannabis

Intervention Type OTHER

Participants will be restricted to specific medical cannabis products from Ethos Dispensary. They will be randomized to one medical cannabis formulation (tincture or vaporization) for the duration of the study. Each month for three months, they will purchase a different composition (predominantly THC, predominantly CBD, or balanced products) of their designated formulation. The order of compositions will be randomized and double-blinded, so participants and the research team will not know which compositions of medical cannabis they are using each month.

Control Group

Participants will not use any cannabis for the study duration.

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Medical Cannabis

Participants will be restricted to specific medical cannabis products from Ethos Dispensary. They will be randomized to one medical cannabis formulation (tincture or vaporization) for the duration of the study. Each month for three months, they will purchase a different composition (predominantly THC, predominantly CBD, or balanced products) of their designated formulation. The order of compositions will be randomized and double-blinded, so participants and the research team will not know which compositions of medical cannabis they are using each month.

Intervention Type OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Current diagnosis of chronic, intractable pain
* Use of prescription opioids for longer than 90 days
* Have a smartphone or agree to use one provided
* English fluency
* Medical cannabis group only: Willing to get certified by a physician to use medical cannabis in PA OR already certified but have not been using medical cannabis products regularly (daily or weekly) for longer than 30 days
* Medical cannabis group only: Willing to accept a temporary restriction on medical cannabis products
* Control group: Agree to continue not using cannabis for the duration of the study (3 months)

Exclusion Criteria

* Under 18 years old
* Being under conservatorship
* Self-reported pregnant or breastfeeding
* Cannabis Use Disorder
* Active treatment in methadone or buprenorphine program for Opioid Use Disorder
* Diabetic neuropathy or chemotherapy-induced neuropathy alone
* Medical cannabis group: Cannabis use (daily/weekly) for more than 30 days
* Control group: Cannabis Use
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Thomas Jefferson University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Brooke Worster, MD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Thomas Jefferson University

Locations

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Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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United States

Central Contacts

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Allison Herens, LSW

Role: CONTACT

215-531-4971

Facility Contacts

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Allison Herens, LSW

Role: primary

215-531-4971

Other Identifiers

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iRIS-2022-1273

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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