New studies show impact of medical and recreational marijuana on opioid prescription
Two new studies, released Monday in the American Medical Association's journal of internal medicine, provide new evidence suggesting legalization of medical and recreational marijuana reduced opioid prescription rates, an important development as America continues to face a crisis of opioid overdose deaths.
The two studies use data from the Medicaid and Medicare Part D programs to analyze the impact that marijuana legalization has had on opioid prescription. Currently, 30 states and the District of Columbia have laws that permit the prescribing of marijuana for medical purposes in some form or another. A further eight states permit recreational use of marijuana, with Californiabeginning weed sales in January of this year.
Medicaid, which covers low-income and disabled Americans, saw a significant drop in opioid prescriptions in those states that had implemented medical and recreational marijuana laws. Examining the period between 2011 and 2016, during which time Medicaid was expanded under Obamacare, authors Jason Hockenberry and Hefei Wen found that medical marijuana laws were associated with an average reduction in the opioid prescription rate of 5.88 percent. States with recreational marijuana laws saw an average reduction of 6.38 percent.
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6 comments:
Until big pharma stops lining the pockets of most politicians marijuana based treatments will remain federally illegal. It's up to the states to provide legislation for opiate free pain management options. Time to cash in MD
Studies: Legal Marijuana Reduces Opioid Prescription Rates
What's not in the studies is how many people have weaned themselves off opioids with the help of "illegal" marijuana, and stay off the opioids and opiates by using it without a prescription.
Shamans and healers probably said the same thing about 5,000 years ago, just like my doctor did fifteen years ago.
Dave T: And aspirin works to stop pain and headaches. Wow, society is really catching on quickly. Seems our top notch administrative officials are about as sharp as my butter knife. The opiod epidemic much like our other idiotic problems today, are self inflicted, man made problems that will require a man made solution. The problem is everyone wants a single source panacea to every problem that delivers instant gratification. Not gonna happen. Solving real problems takes real effort. Something I see lacking very much today. It's pretty ridiculous to see the most technologically advanced civilizations in world history still bumbling over the same old problems that have ravaged mankind for centuries without a single solution to anything except, "wow" look at my new i phone. Isn't it wonderful?
No really? I never would have guessed ;)
My bible clutching grandmother was given a prescription for medical marijuana to help get her appetite back after a bought with muscular degeneration issues. Needless to say she changed her mind about the 'devils lettuce'
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