DECEMBER 8, 2025—(BRONX, NY)—A groundbreaking study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine reveals that adults with chronic pain who participate in New York State’s Medical Cannabis Program are significantly less likely to require prescription opioids. The research, led by experts at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System, underscores the potential of medical cannabis as a tool in addressing the opioid crisis.
“Chronic pain and opioid addiction are two of the most pressing health challenges in the United States,” stated Dr. Deepika E. Slawek, the study’s lead author and an associate professor of medicine at Einstein. “Our findings indicate that medical cannabis, when dispensed through a pharmacist-supervised system, can relieve chronic pain while also meaningfully reducing patients’ reliance on prescription opioids. Supervised use of medical cannabis could be an important tool in combatting the opioid crisis.”
Study Details and Findings
The study followed 204 adults prescribed opioids for chronic pain who were newly certified for medical cannabis between September 2018 and July 2023. Participants were tracked over an 18-month period, with data collected from the New York State Prescription Monitoring Program detailing both their cannabis and opioid use.
At the start of the study, participants reported high levels of pain and were taking an average daily opioid dose equivalent to 73.3 mg of morphine. Over the 18-month follow-up, this average daily dose fell to 57 mg, marking a 22% reduction.
More specifically, participants who received a 30-day supply of medical cannabis used the equivalent of 3.5 fewer mg of morphine per day than those who did not receive cannabis. Dr. Slawek emphasized, “Those changes may seem small, but gradual reductions in opioid use are safer and more sustainable for people managing chronic pain than stopping suddenly.”
Implications for Policy and Practice
The research contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting a medicalized model of cannabis use, where pharmacists play an active role in dispensaries, and cannabis is treated similarly to other prescription drugs. Dr. Julia Arnsten, the study’s senior author, remarked, “We hope these findings will lead to new policies encouraging the effective management of chronic pain through the use of regulated substances.”
As the opioid crisis continues to challenge healthcare systems nationwide, these findings offer a potential pathway for reducing dependency on opioids through alternative treatments. The study’s authors advocate for policy changes that would integrate medical cannabis into pain management protocols more broadly.
About Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Albert Einstein College of Medicine stands as one of the nation’s premier centers for research, medical education, and clinical investigation. During the 2024-25 academic year, Einstein is home to 712 M.D. students, 226 Ph.D. students, 112 students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program, and approximately 250 postdoctoral research fellows. The college boasts over 2,000 full-time faculty members located on its main campus and at clinical affiliates.
In 2024, Einstein received more than $192 million in awards from the National Institutes of Health, including funding for major research centers in cancer, aging, intellectual development disorders, diabetes, clinical and translational research, liver disease, and AIDS.
The partnership between Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System is pivotal in advancing research and education, particularly in areas such as developmental brain research, neuroscience, cardiac disease, and initiatives to reduce and eliminate ethnic and racial health disparities.
As the conversation around medical cannabis continues to evolve, studies like this provide critical insights into its potential benefits and applications. The research not only highlights a viable alternative for chronic pain management but also sets the stage for future investigations into the role of cannabis in healthcare.
