Figure 1. Number of patients who filled controlled substance prescriptions within six months before medical cannabis prescription.

Of all patients with chronic low back pain (n = 477), 220 patients were actively consuming opioids. Patients who had surgery within six months of medical cannabis certification were removed (n = 34). Our study population included 186 patients. The study population was further divided into patients taking less than 15 morphine milligram equivalents per day (<15 MME/day, n = 135) prior to medical cannabis or more than 15 morphine milligram equivalents per day (>15 MME/day, n = 52).