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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: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday March 19 2017, @10:46AM
I have had a lot of people ask me what I think about Gun Control.
I am all for it - providing the words "Gun Control" means you hit what you are shooting at - and you do not hit what you ain't shooting at.
If you aim for one thing, and hit something else, its obvious you ain't controlling your gun and you don't have any business messing with one.
That's all I ask... if you mess around with it, know how to use it.
A flock of people without the means to protect themselves is just about as bad as a flock of sheep with wolves around.
I take about as kindly to removing people's guns as to declawing a cat then making it fend for itself. What's the thing to do? Meow loudly while its being eaten?
I know the "bad guys" are going to have guns. Law or no law.
My concern is that the "good guys" have them too.