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Marijuana legalization could help offset opioid epidemic, studies find
Experts have proposed using medical marijuana to help Americans struggling with opioid addiction. Now, two studies suggest that there is merit to that strategy.
The studies, published Monday in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine [open, DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.0266] [DX], compared opioid prescription patterns in states that have enacted medical cannabis laws with those that have not. One of the studies looked at opioid prescriptions covered by Medicare Part D between 2010 and 2015, while the other looked at opioid prescriptions covered by Medicaid between 2011 and 2016.
The researchers found that states that allow the use of cannabis for medical purposes had 2.21 million fewer daily doses of opioids prescribed per year under Medicare Part D, compared with those states without medical cannabis laws. Opioid prescriptions under Medicaid also dropped by 5.88% in states with medical cannabis laws compared with states without such laws, according to the studies.
"This study adds one more brick in the wall in the argument that cannabis clearly has medical applications," said David Bradford, professor of public administration and policy at the University of Georgia and a lead author of the Medicare study. "And for pain patients in particular, our work adds to the argument that cannabis can be effective."
Also at the Washington Post.
Association of Medical and Adult-Use Marijuana Laws With Opioid Prescribing for Medicaid Enrollees (open, DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.1007) (DX)
Previously:
Study: Legal Weed Far Better Than Drug War at Stopping Opioid Overdose Epidemic
Opioid Commission Drops the Ball, Demonizes Cannabis
(Score: 2) by NewNic on Wednesday April 04 2018, @12:07AM (2 children)
Not sure what point you are trying to make there, but it sounds awfully like a circular argument that "Cannabis is illegal because it is on a list that makes it illegal", not because of any real harm.
Historically, Cannabis is illegal because of racism.
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory
(Score: 2) by takyon on Wednesday April 04 2018, @12:52AM (1 child)
Point is that it is on Schedule I, deemed the worst of the worst by our government, but kids (and adults) barely even think of it as a drug. It's all a big joke.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by NewNic on Wednesday April 04 2018, @04:38AM
I don't agree that it is a joke.
What its Schedule 1 listing means is that this (and prior) governments have no regard for facts.
Facts show that it has valuable medical properties. Facts show that it is not addictive. Facts show that legalizing it would promote one of this administration's stated goals: reducing opioid-related deaths and other consequences of opioid abuse.
Facts show that it should be regulated more like alcohol.
But, legalizing cannabis would give a win to the very states that fund the nation, but are hated by Trump, so its not going to happen any time soon. Another failure by Obama!
lib·er·tar·i·an·ism ˌlibərˈterēənizəm/ noun: Magical thinking that useful idiots mistake for serious political theory