Most patients with medical cannabis who are prescribed cannabis to treat chronic muscular -Skeletal pain stop the use of medical cannabis within one year, according to a new study published in AAn online journal, revised by colleagues.

Researchers with the Rothman Institute for Opioid Research and Education in Philadelphia found that in their study of 78 cannabis patients who were enrolled in the medical cannabis program in Pennsylvania for chronic muscle pain, 57.9% of participants using medical cannabis within one year. Moreover, among those who stopped, 44.7% had rested within three months of the beginning of treatment.

The study authors called the results a “key finding … (that) suggests that a large proportion of patients may undergo dissatisfaction, intolerance, or prefer alternative treatments such as surgery or common injections for chronic muscle pain management.”

The authors noted, however, that after one year, 42.1% of patients chose to continue using medical cannabis or seek recreation in the program, suggesting that there is a significant subgroup of patients with chronic pain that “perceive stable benefits” from medical cannabis, which is “in accordance with previous studies”.

The researchers searched with the participants twice during the study-once every three months and again in twelve-but noted that the following data were only available for 76 of 78 patients.

The study, “the rate of termination and predictors of medical cannabis termination for chronic muscle pain”, was published on August 7.