Academic research and international clinical trials continue to show that marijuana is a serious and sought after alternative to a myriad of health conditions including epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder and many other well-being issues. (Gordon & Devinsky, 2013; Naftali et al., 2013; Greer et al., 2014; Shannon & Opila-Lehman, 2016)

The National Institute for Drug Abuse indicates that “… preliminary studies have suggested that medical marijuana legalization might be associated with decreased prescription opioid use and overdose deaths...” The NIDA reports that scientists are also conducting pre-clinical and clinical trials with marijuana and its extracts to treat symptoms of illness and other conditions such as: diseases that affect the immune system, including: HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis (MS), which causes gradual loss of muscle control, inflammation, pain, seizures, substance use disorders and mental disorders. (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2022)

Over the last 3 decades, humans have become increasingly dependent on standard and traditional prescription opioids with some alarming statistics emerging. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in the United States alone, overdose deaths involving prescription opioids have quadrupled since 1999, and so have sales of these prescription drugs. From 1999 to 2015, more than 183,000 people have died in the U.S. from overdoses related to prescription opioids. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017)

Overdose is not the only risk related to prescription opioids. Misuse, abuse, and opioid use disorder (addiction) are also potential dangers. In 2014, almost 2 million Americans abused or were dependent on prescription opioids. As many as 1 in 4 people who receive prescription opioids long term for non-cancer pain in primary care settings struggles with addiction. Every day, over 1,000 people in America are treated in emergency departments for misusing prescription opioids. (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2022)

Every day, over 1,000 people in America are treated in emergency departments for misusing prescription opioids. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021)

In July of 2016, a Huffington Post headline stated; “Study Finds Drop in Prescription Drugs in Medical Marijuana States”. States looking for a way to reduce Medicare spending and prescription drug use may want to turn to legalizing medical marijuana. (Bradford & Bradford, 2016)