New Data on Chronic Pain: Daily Cannabis Use, Opioid‑Sparing Trends, and Quality‑of‑Life Gains

What the 2025 patient survey tells us—and how to use it responsibly in coverage and care.
Media contact: tyler@greenhealthdocs.com
Updated: October 21, 2025

Why this matters

Chronic pain is not rare—and it isn’t brief. Our 2025 patient survey (N=1,450) suggests long symptom duration is common, daily medical cannabis use is the norm among respondents, and many report reducing prescription pain‑medication use after starting cannabis. This post summarizes the most usable takeaways for reporters, clinicians, and policymakers, along with visuals you can embed.

Attribution: “Source: Green Health Docs, Medical Marijuana & Chronic Pain — 2025 patient survey (N=1,450).”

Who this post is for

• Reporters / editors / producers needing copy‑ready stats, quotes, and charts.
• Clinicians & health leaders looking to contextualize patient‑reported outcomes.
• Policymakers & payers evaluating access, coverage, and safety considerations.
• Patient & caregiver leaders seeking plain‑English summaries and resources.

What’s inside

• 2025 highlights you can quote
• Embeddable visuals and captions
• Guidance for newsrooms, clinicians, and policymakers
• Short methodology & limitations
• How to request custom cuts or interviews

How to use this in coverage

• Lead with what’s new and what’s local; pair one stat with a concise caveat.
• Include a human impact angle (older adults, caregivers, mobility/sleep, costs).
• Always cite the source and link to Methodology; note self‑reported data.
• Check state legality and avoid implying medical advice.
• Embed one chart for clarity and add a brief caption with a source line.

Key terms in this post

• Daily use: Respondent selected “Daily” for cannabis use frequency.
• Opioid‑sparing: Any of stopped all, stopped some, or reduced dose/frequency of prescription pain meds after starting cannabis.
• Perceived effectiveness (8–10/10): Share rating cannabis 8–10 on a 0–10 relief scale.
• Improvement levels: Significant, moderate, or little/none improvement in pain symptoms (self‑reported).
• Sustainability: Whether respondents view cannabis as a sustainable long‑term option.

Press kit at a glance

• Factsheet (2‑page) — copy‑ready toplines & quotes.
• Charts (PNG) — pain duration, Rx change, improvement, sustainability.
• Press release — universally focused.
• Methodology (PDF) — design, weighting, and limitations.

For all assets, see the Reporter Resource Center.

What’s new in 2025

• Long‑duration burden: 51.5% report 10+ years with chronic pain (another 39.3% report 3–10 years).
• Daily use is common: 72.7% use medical cannabis daily (15.7% several times/week).
• Opioid‑sparing patterns: 35.0% stopped all Rx pain meds; 14.8% stopped some; 11.6% reduced dose/frequency; 18.0% report no change.
• Perceived effectiveness: 72.4% rate cannabis 8–10/10 for pain relief.
• Reported outcomes: 55.5% significant improvement; 30.6% moderate improvement in pain symptoms.

Note: Self‑reported data; interpret as descriptive of the sample.

How to cover this responsibly

• Avoid absolutes; 18% report no change in Rx use after starting cannabis.
• Include a methodology link and note that results are self‑reported.
• Clarify local legality and avoid implying medical advice.
• Prefer non‑sensational headlines; focus on outcomes and access context.

Copy‑ready line: “Many respondents report reducing or discontinuing prescription pain medications after starting cannabis, while some report no change.”

Notes for clinicians

• Consider cannabis (where legal) within multimodal care—PT/OT/CBT, non‑opioid meds, interventional options.
• Set expectations: titrate slowly, prefer non‑inhaled routes for older adults, monitor cognition/falls and interactions.
• Review PDMP and reconcile Rx changes; document goals around function and sleep.

Policy & payer implications

• Long‑duration pain is common in the sample—consider coverage for multimodal approaches and caregiver support.
• Access and affordability shape outcomes; transportation and specialty shortages are recurring barriers.
• Encourage pragmatic data collection (PROMs) and clinician education.

Methodology

Cross‑sectional online survey fielded March–August 2025; responses weighted by age/sex/region. Measures include pain duration/severity, cannabis use patterns, perceived effectiveness, changes in Rx pain‑medication use, and perceived long‑term sustainability. See the press kit for details and limitations.

Get help, quotes, or custom cuts

• Email: tyler@greenhealthdocs.com with subject “INFO REQUEST – [Outlet] – [Topic]”.
• Include: focus (e.g., seniors, opioids, costs), deadline, which figures you plan to cite, and whether you need a quote or interview.
• Data access: We can share limited, de‑identified slices/crosstabs for bona fide reporting; raw datasets are not public.

Related reading

• Medical Marijuana & Chronic Pain Survey — https://greenhealthdocs.com/medical-marijuana-and-chronic-pain-survey/
• Painkillers vs. Medical Marijuana for Chronic Pain Management — https://greenhealthdocs.com/painkillers-vs-medical-marijuana-for-chronic-pain-management/
• How to Get Medical Marijuana for Chronic Pain in Texas — https://greenhealthdocs.com/how-to-get-medical-marijuana-for-chronic-pain-in-texas/