The opioid epidemic continues to claim lives every day, with chronic pain patients often caught in the middle, overprescribed, under-supported, and lacking safer alternatives. But what if one of those alternatives is already here?

Management Science Associates (MSA) is conducting research to determine whether medical cannabis could be part of the solution and is using real-world data to find out how.

Connecting the Dots Between Cannabis and Opioids

Since 2017, MSA has been studying cannabis using real-world data (RWD) drawn from electronic health records linked to point-of-sale information from licensed cannabis dispensaries. This approach allows the team to gather detailed information about which cannabis products patients are using and how these products may be impacting their health.

With these tools, MSA has tracked how people with conditions like chronic pain, insomnia, and anxiety use cannabis, and how it may influence their reliance on more dangerous medications, especially opioids.

Targeting the Crisis Where It Hurts

The opioid crisis won’t be solved until effective, accessible alternatives for managing chronic pain are available, and research is key to that goal. MSA has requested support from the Allegheny County Opioid Settlement Fund to launch a new retrospective cohort study focused on adults with chronic pain in Pennsylvania.

If awarded, the project will provide evidence on whether medical cannabis use is associated with reduced opioid prescriptions, dosage reductions, and even lower overdose risk.

This research could help answer questions like:

Can cannabis help reduce the need for long-term opioid therapy?

Which types of cannabis products are most associated with reduced opioid use?

What patient characteristics and conditions show the strongest results?

Most importantly, it will help ground cannabis policy and prescribing practices in local, data-driven evidence.

Bringing Findings Back to the Community

To ensure these insights lead to action, MSA is collaborating with outreach experts, including Jushi Holdings, a licensed medical cannabis operator in Pennsylvania. Their team will help bring the findings directly to physicians certified to recommend cannabis, dispensary staff who advise patients daily, and patients managing chronic pain who are seeking alternatives.

Why This Matters

Clinical trials on cannabis and opioids remain limited by regulations. But real-world data can fill that gap, showing how cannabis affects people in real life. MSA has compiled data on over 125,000 cannabis users across a period of more than 10 years. This data can help advance cannabis research and explore its potential as a safer, more effective treatment for chronic pain.

Want to learn more or get involved? Contact MSA at:

MSA is committed to conducting retrospective cohort studies across the United States to advance research and education within the cannabis industry. As the industry continues to evolve, our goal is to equip patients and consumers with data-driven insights that support informed decisions about products tailored to their specific health and wellness needs.

At the same time, we aim to empower cannabis operators with actionable insights to better serve their communities. By leveraging real-world data and producing in-depth reports across cannabis markets, we are shifting the narrative from anecdotal and survey-based evidence to include real-world research-backed findings that benefit further validated research for the cannabis industry.

If you’re interested in partnering or learning more about MSA’s Cannabis Industry Solutions Division, please contact Madeline Grant at mgrant@msa.com.

By Jenniffer Lucero, MD, MSc and Madeline Grant

About MSA

Management Science Associates, Inc. (MSA) is a trusted leader in real-world data analytics and health-focused cannabis research. Leveraging over 60 years of experience in complex data integration, MSA offers cannabis operators the opportunity to collaborate on research that examines how cannabis use relates to health and wellness outcomes and supports both patients and consumer well-being.

By combining rigorous data science with a commitment to privacy and compliance, MSA empowers stakeholders across the cannabis industry to make informed decisions, improve product development, and advance research and education for the cannabis industry.

Author Bio: