Legalizing cannabis might just help address the opioid crisis in America. Statistics would show that more than 115 people in the US die every day from an opioid overdose. Hence, liberal cannabis laws and medical marijuana research were explored further for insights into a feasible solution to the said crisis. This rising number of deaths associated with opioid overdose calls for a serious pursuit of a solution including, but not limited to, increasing the number of best drug rehab centers in the US.

Two of the five ways wherein cannabis is said to help curb opioid crises can be explained by two recent scientific studies. These two scientific studies backed the hypothesis that legalizing the use of cannabis might solve the alarming American opioid crisis.

A couple of peer-reviewed studies published in the JAMA Internal Medicine Journal found a noteworthy drop in opioid use among states in the US which imposed a more relaxed law on recreational cannabis use.

Both of these studies seem to offer valuable insights in finding ways to solve the opioid crisis that led to the deaths of more than 115 people each day in the US alone.

The start of the crisis and the JAMA researches

The opioid crisis started way back in the 80’s when a new generation of opioids was sold into the market, claiming relief for people with chronic pain. The said drugs were then marketed as one which poses minimal addiction risks.

One of the two researchers was conducted by researchers from the University of Georgia in Athens and the same looked into Medicare Part D prescriptions given to individuals between 2010 and 2015 and among those who are 65 years old and above by then.

The results of the said study revealed that all opioid prescriptions significantly lowered by 2.12 million daily doses per year, from more than 23 million daily doses per year when a particular state legalized medical cannabis. Also, along this lowered number of daily doses per year is the fact that there was also a lowered number in the admittance to best drug rehab centers in the US.

Furthermore, the said study highlighted that opioid prescriptions also significantly lowered by 3.8 million daily doses each year the moment the state started allowing dispensaries for marijuana.

The proponents of the study, in the summary they wrote highlighting the results of their study in the Association Between US State Medical Cannabis Laws and Opioid Prescribing in the Medicare Part D Population1 article, said that one of the reasons for starting the study was “to know whether or not policies on medical cannabis can become a mechanism to decrease the use of prescription opioid and act as a harm mitigating tool in the crisis involving opioid. “

The researchers then concluded that there is a very strong association between inaction of medical cannabis laws and reduction of use of opioid in the Medicare Part D population.

The third way where cannabis legalization can be justified as a means to curb the opioid crisis lies in the proposition raised in the same study. The same study revealed furthermore that the results of the study are stronger and more positive in states that allow marijuana dispensaries. They said that this played a huge role in the reduction of morphine and hydrocodone prescriptions.

The second study, as discussed extensively in the Association of Medical and Adult Use Marijuana Laws With Opioid Prescribing for Medicaid Enrollees2article particularly focused on the 2011 to 2016 Medicaid prescription data.

The said study found out that a significant 5.90 percent drop in opioid prescription among states which allowed the use of medical marijuana. Furthermore, the study also revealed that allowing recreational cannabis use among adults was likewise related to the greater decrease in the use of prescription opioid. The annual rate for prescribing opioid dropped by almost 7 percent.

The researchers from the University of Kentucky then concluded that the possible liberalization of marijuana use to decrease the consequences and use of prescription opioids demands greater consideration when discussing policies to curb the opioid epidemic and about marijuana reforms.

The article entitled “The Role of Cannabis Legalization in the Opioid Crisis,” revealed that the two studies mentioned above “strongly backs-up circumstantial pieces of evidence gathered from patients who showed a lessened dependency on opioids to cure and to relieve them of chronic pain after the start of use of medical cannabis.”

Marijuana and opioids

Opioids are a type of strong medications for pain and these include OxyContin (oxycodone) and Vicodin (hydrocodone combined with acetaminophen). Opioids work by binding itself to opioid receptors in the body, thereby causing euphoria. These substances are extremely addictive, and will most likely lead to substance abuse and even drug addiction rehab, deadly complications and at worst, death.

Most people who use opioid drugs start out with a prescription from their doctors to relieve them of their chronic pain. However, since this drug is highly addictive, it’s easy to become dependent on it.  The fourth way wherein cannabis legalization can be justified as a means to curb opioid crisis lies in another fact that marijuana can be used as an alternative since, according to experts, the cannabinoids in marijuana works by binding itself to the cannabinoid receptors in the body, and relieve one of pain.

So far, research and tests propose that marijuana is effective in relieving an individual with chronic pain, neuropathic pain or pain due to damage to the nervous system and adverse effects associated with multiple sclerosis.

The fifth way, should this part be studied further, is the possibility of building a connection between the increased use of marijuana and total avoidance of opioid use. Research efforts should be made in taking a closer look at the link by carrying out randomized medical trials to find out if marijuana actually helped opioid-dependent individuals avoid opioids entirely or merely decrease their use.

If you’re struggling with substance abuse, now is the right time to seek for help. There are a lot of best drug rehab centers in the US that can help you.

References:

1. Bradford AC, Bradford WD, Abraham A, Bagwell Adams G. Association Between US State Medical Cannabis Laws and Opioid Prescribing in the Medicare Part D Population. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(5):667–672. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.0266

2. Wen H, Hockenberry JM. Association of Medical and Adult-Use Marijuana Laws With Opioid Prescribing for Medicaid Enrollees. JAMA Intern Med. 2018;178(5):673–679. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2018.1007