Painkiller deaths drop by 25% in states with legalized medical marijuana

#1

https://www.minds.com/blog/view/547170043763372032

A study put out by the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2014 made an interesting discovery. In every state that had legalized medical marijuana between 1999 and 2010 (13 states in all), there was a 25% reduction in deaths related to the overdose of legally prescribed opioids.

“The difference is quite striking,” said study co-author Colleen Barry, a health policy researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. She notes that the trend became visible in every state a year after the pot was legalized.

The study suggests that because patients that are experiencing chronic pain can substitute or suppliment marijuana for their pain pills, they are able to take smaller (or no) doses of the pills and are less likely to experience an overdose.

Barry says that it is “basically impossible” to die from an overdose on weed and suggests the substitution is the most likely reason for the reduction in deaths.

There is opposition, however. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, chief medical officer at Phoenix House thinks it is less likely related to the marijuana substituting for pain pills, but more likely a progressive push, in general, to treat addiction. “You don’t have primary care doctors in these states [prescribing] marijuana instead of Vicodin,” he said.

He believes that states that legalize medical marijuana are also more likely to actively treat and help prevent addiction and that it is a more likely scenario for the decrease in overdose deaths.

Whatever the reason, it's great news and the prohibition of this medicinal plant is at its end, enabling further study.

#2

Someone give Dr. House some pot and fast!

spooky scary bearatons · #3

Not remotely surprised.

legalise it

#4

but you know what goes UP when using the POT

Girl Scout cookie sales

http://katu.com/news/local/girl-scout-s ... -the-rules

Bad Dragonite · #5

I'd like for them to legalize pot, at least medically. But I don't like how people pretend like they can't become addicted to it. I've talked to too many potheads to think that. It shouldn't be addicting but it gives you such a shot of endorphins that if you do it too much nothing else is satisfying. I got in an argument with a dozen potheads the other day on facebook (which was as silly as you think) about it when the main post was how they were craving pot to a horrible point and later started literally begging for cash to get more weed. and I haven't done a whole lot of research on it but have seen some statistics on how it can damage your brain function over a time, especially if the user is under 25, so if it's legalized for recreational use I think it should at least have the same restrictions as drinking.

In the USA though I don't like the idea of taking away state and municipal governments rights to decide on legalizing or not. Federal intervention wouldnt be the best idea.

Random User · #6

Pot addiction is akin to gambling addiction. Both are things I feel should be legal. Just because a few can't control their urges shouldn't ruin it for the rest of us.

Besides that, legalizing, or at the very least, decriminalizing drugs is economically beneficial, and will probably lower crime rates.

X-3 · #7

Why waste your time with weed when you can be enjoying the classics, like Gatsby?

spooky scary bearatons · #8

probably? It does.

[QUOTE="Vgfian, post: 1587369, member: 32425"] It shouldn't be addicting but it gives you such a shot of endorphins that if you do it too much nothing else is satisfying..[/QUOTE]

Psychological addiction to cannabis is a thing, HOWEVER, there is no links to any chemical addiction I.e nicotine.

but you do make a point I agree with, which quite frankly is madness. and thats the same restrictions as alcohol.

#9

know what a worse addiction is

video games

Valigarmander · #10

I've never enjoyed weed that much.

I do love my painkillers, though.

Random User · #11

Weed is the best painkiller.