Oct 08, 2015 08:06 AM EDT By Rashmi Kalia, UniversityHerald Reporter

A new study suggests that the use of medical marijuana appears safe for the treatment of chronic pain among people who have taken the drug before, Heathday reports.

The research team found that the people who used marijuana to alleviate pain didn't increase their risk of serious side effects as compared to people who didn't use marijuana to ease their pain.

"In terms of a side effect profile, we felt the drug had a reasonably good safety profile, if you compare those effects to other medications," said study lead author Dr. Mark Ware.

Dr. Mark Ware is the director of clinical research for the Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit at McGill University Health Center in Montreal.

Findings from the study were reported online recently in the Journal of Pain.

Ware said that the trial was the first and largest study of the long-term safety of medical marijuana use by patients in chronic pain.

For the study, the researchers observed 215 adult patients with chronic pain who used medical marijuana for one year. The patients who used marijuana were compared to  a control group of 216 chronic pain patients who didn't use medical marijuana.

The study will provide valuable information for patients considering medical marijuana for pain treatment.

"This is a paper they should bring to the attention of their physician or health care provider," Ware said. "Anybody who is interested in using cannabis to treat pain should know this information, as it can influence the decision-making process considerably."

However, Ware said that the study might not be useful for patients who've never tried pot before.

"For somebody reading this who's never tried it, the effects they experience might be different," Ware said.

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