A growing number of people are turning to medical marijuana for pain control, and doctors say cannabis is generally safer than opioids and can be just as effective.

Rothman Orthopedics, headquartered in Philadelphia, has a Foundation for Opioid Research & Education that’s taking a closer look at cannabis — something that’s often recommended to patients struggling with chronic pain.

After breaking her back falling on black ice, 75-year-old Sharon Garcia suffers from chronic pain.

“It’s just debilitating. It’s a constant. It’s like a knot in my back. It also can be signals going down my leg, like electric things going down my leg,” Garcia said.

She’s among a growing number of people finding pain relief with medical marijuana. 

“CBD has helped me mostly with sleep,” Garcia said.

Her doctor, Dr. Ari Greis, is the director of the Medical Cannabis Department at the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute.

“For a lot of people, they can use small amounts of cannabis on a long-term basis without it affecting their body in other bad ways,” Greis said. “We’re moving away from opioids, especially for treating chronic pain conditions. And when you take these powerful medications away from patients who are suffering on a daily basis, you have to offer them something else.”

He says cannabis can be as effective as opioids for pain control with fewer side effects.

“Small dosages of THC, oftentimes combined with other cannabinoids, can alleviate symptoms without causing intoxication,” Greis said.

The cannabis that Greis recommends comes in a variety of forms, including pills, edibles and topical lotions, but doctors don’t write prescriptions for it because it’s legal is some states but not federally.

“And patients, through kind of trial and error, figure out what the right dose is for them and what gives them the most benefit,” Greis said.

Hoping to alleviate the guessing game, Rothman is researching patients using cannabis to determine which products are most effective.

To qualify for a medical marijuana card, people have to have certain conditions certified by a physician.

Medical marijuana is legal in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.