Association of a Positive Drug Screening for Cannabis With Mortality and Hospital Visits Among Veterans Affairs Enrollees Prescribed Opioids.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Cannabis has been proposed as a therapeutic with potential opioid-sparing properties in chronic pain, and its use could theoretically be associated with decreased amounts of opioids used and decreased risk of mortality among individuals prescribed opioids.

Objective

To examine the risks associated with cannabis use among adults prescribed opioid analgesic medications.

Design, setting, and participants

This cohort study was conducted among individuals aged 18 years and older who had urine drug screening in 2014 to 2019 and received any prescription opioid in the prior 90 days or long-term opioid therapy (LTOT), defined as more than 84 days of the prior 90 days, through the Veterans Affairs health system. Data were analyzed from November 2020 through March 20

SUBMITTER: Keyhani S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9856228 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature