Resources for Healthcare Providers
Research on the benefits of cannabis for medicinal use is ongoing. However, already a great deal of insight has been gained on how its various chemical components act on the body. With further study, scientists will understand even more about when and in what forms cannabis can best support patient wellbeing.
Opioid Alternative Pilot Program
Opioids are highly addictive prescription medications. Their use can lead to dependence in a very short time. In an effort to help prevent addictions, the Alternative to Opioids Act of 2018 was signed into law. It modified the Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act to create the Opioid Alternative Pilot Program (OAPP). This program provides access to medical cannabis to individuals who have, or could have in the opinion of a licensed physician, an opioid prescription. Learn more about the OAPP from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Additional Reading on Medical Cannabis
Check out these peer-reviewed papers to learn more about the therapeutic use of cannabis:
- NCBI: Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base
- Associations between medical cannabis and prescription opioid use in chronic pain patients: A preliminary cohort study
- Measuring cannabis consumption: Psychometric properties of the Daily Sessions, Frequency, Age of Onset, and Quantity of Cannabis Use Inventory (DFAQ-CU)
- Peer-Reviewed Studies on Medical Marijuana: Medical Studies Involving Cannabis and Cannabis Extracts (1990–2014)
- Cannabinoids for fibromyalgia pain: a critical review of recent studies (2015–2019)
- Therapeutic effects of cannabis in treating cancer-related pain