In the first peer-reviewed study of Illinois medical cannabis pilot program, researchers hear stories about how patients are leveraging cannabis against the negative effects of opioid use. The 30 subjects interviewed most commonly qualified for the state’s medical cannabis program by having either rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, spinal cord injury/disease, or cancer. Douglas Bruce, associate professor in the Department of Health Sciences at DePaul University, said many of the patients interviewed used cannabis as a counter-measure against opioid-based pain drugs.