The Free Thought Project reports via AlterNet
There's one thing that appears to be saving more lives during the opioid epidemic than anything else--medical cannabis. While government touts meaningless attempts at addressing the problem--paying lip service to the people while protecting Big Pharma's profits and filling jails--people are saving themselves by turning to an ancient plant.
Yet another scientific study has confirmed that medical cannabis access reduces harm from opioid abuse among the population. A recent study published in the Drug and Alcohol Dependency journal found that states with legal medical cannabis experience fewer hospitalizations related to opioids.
"Medical marijuana legalization was associated with 23% and 13% reductions in hospitalizations related to opioid dependence or abuse and [opioid pain reliever] OPR overdose, respectively; lagged effects were observed after policy implementation."
Researchers from the University of California analyzed hospital administrative records for the period of 1997 to 2014. The author reported:
"This study demonstrated significant reductions on OPR- (opioid pain reliever) related hospitalizations associated with the implementation of medical marijuana policies. ... We found reductions in OPR-related hospitalizations immediately after the year of policy implementation as well as delayed reductions in the third post-policy year."
The data also show that cannabis-related hospitalizations did not increase after legalization, contrary to what prohibitionists would have you believe.
(Score: 4, Touché) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday March 17 2017, @07:10PM (4 children)
> Basically impossible, I don't think there is one recorded case of death by marijuana.
What if a 200-pound bale of the stuff falls on your head? What then, ese?!
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 3, Funny) by Zz9zZ on Friday March 17 2017, @07:20PM
Call OSHA!
~Tilting at windmills~
(Score: 4, Insightful) by rts008 on Friday March 17 2017, @07:41PM
Call it a gift from 'heaven', and find a truck?
Is this a trick question?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday March 17 2017, @07:52PM
Then you call Cheech & Chong and get some XXL Zigzags... And some munchies.
(Score: 2) by LoRdTAW on Friday March 17 2017, @10:38PM
You call Dominoes. Duh.