A new study has found that medical marijuana reduces the use of prescription drugs in nursing homes. The study is titled Will medical cannabis treatment reduce pharmaceutical residues in the aquatic environment? A case study from an elderly nursing home, and was published in the journal Advances in Health and Behavior.

For the study researchers from Israel examined the impact of medical marijuana consumption on symptom management and prescription drug use in a cohort of 19 elderly patients over a one-year period. According to NORML participants in the study were enrolled in Israel’s federal marijuana access program and were able to choose from four select strains of cannabis. All of the study’s subjects were dependent on nursing home care.

Researchers reported, “All patients experienced immediate relief from medical cannabis usage.” These effects included reduced pain, increased appetite, better mood, improved sleep, and dramatic improvements in symptoms of spasticity.

“Authors further reported that cannabis therapy was associated with a reduction in subjects’ use of prescription medications – a finding that is consistent with prior studies. Overall, participants discontinued taking a total of 39 prescription medicines during the study period. Patients were most likely to eliminate their use of opioids, anxiolytics, and anti-depressants after initiating cannabis therapy.”

The study concludes by stating: “We found an overall improvement in the…