The Side Effects Of Cannabis Legalization

Access to medical marijuana may help curb the opioid epidemic in America. According to newly released research published in “JAMA Internal Medicine,” those with easier access to cannabis are less likely to get prescription opioids.

Findings suggest users turn to medical marijuana to treat pain, and therefore avoid – or “substitute” – using other, more dangerous substances.

“Many people end up abusing opioid drugs such as oxycodone and heroin after starting off with a legitimate prescription for pain,” the article reports. “The [study’s] authors argue that people who avoid that first prescription are less likely to end up as part of the opioid epidemic.”

"We do know that cannabis is much less risky than opiates, as far as likelihood of dependency,” said W. David Bradford, the study’s author. 

Bradford noted that, in states with medical marijuana dispensaries, there are “substantial reductions in opiate use.” After examining Medicare data (which mostly relates to those aged 65+), researchers found a 14 percent reduction in opioid prescriptions in these states. Altogether, “They estimate that these dispensary programs reduced the number of opioid prescriptions by 3.7 million daily doses,” found the article.

But correlation does not equal causation, the study’s authors and other experts acknowledge. Rather, findings show that cannabis use helps to slow the growth of, rather than putting a stop to, the use of opioids.

Marijuana liberalization alone will not solve the epidemic. But when weighing the ultimate risks and benefits, "[…] there likely is a role for medical marijuana in reducing the use of prescribed opioids for the management of pain," said Dr. Mark Olfson.