Study: Public faith in marijuana outpaces medical research

Despite limited evidence, Americans have an increasingly positive view of the health benefits of marijuana. Nearly two-thirds believe pot can reduce pain, while close to half say it improves symptoms of anxiety, depression, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis, according to a new online survey of 9,003 adults.

Pennsylvania and New Jersey are among the 30 states, along with the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico, that have legalized medical marijuana. But scientists say hard data on the health effects of pot – positive and negative – are largely missing. Because marijuana is considered an illicit drug by the federal government, research has been scant, though there are efforts underway in Pennsylvania and nationally to remedy that.

“I am not surprised at all (by the survey). At the same time, I’m a little bit disturbed,” said Antoine Douaihy, senior academic director of addiction medicine services at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He was not involved in the study.

Douaihy, who helped legislators craft Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana bill, believes “organizations are not educating the public well” when it comes to what is known about the benefits and risks of smoking, vaping, and eating marijuana.

“We don’t have enough studies that demonstrate the benefits of medical cannabis,” he said. “And the perceptions about the risks related to cannabis are going down, particularly among adolescents.”

In the survey, a majority of Americans – 65.7 percent – said that marijuana can help with pain management. “There is some evidence which is moving in that direction, but we need more studies,” said Douaihy. Among the 14.1 percent of respondents who reported using marijuana in the past year, 87.6 percent identified pain management as a benefit.

Other purported benefits included the treatment of diseases such as epilepsy and multiple sclerosis; relief from stress, anxiety, or depression; and improved sleep and appetite. Close to a quarter of all respondents – 23.3 percent – also believe using marijuana can make it easier to get off other medications.