A new study has investigated what patients themselves prefer when it comes to managing pain – opioids, which are widely distributed for intense pain relief, or medical marijuana.

The researchers found that the patients themselves much prefer medical marijuana, and many believe it is just as effective for their pain.

“This study can conclude that medical cannabis patients report successfully using cannabis along with or as a substitute for opioid-based pain medication,” the team reported in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.

“Patients in this study who are using cannabis and opioids report that they are able to use less opioids and that cannabis presents less unwanted side effects than their opioid-based medication.”

The researchers, from University of California Berkeley and Kent State University emailed participants a survey asking them about their pain, and their opioid and marijuana usage.

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