Researchers say medical marijuana use cuts painkiller overdoses by 25 percent
States that legalized medical marijuana use saw overdoses from prescription painkillers drop by nearly 25 percent per year, according to a study released on Monday.
“We [found] it surprising that the difference is so big,” lead researcher Marcus Bachhuber told ABC News.
The study, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, found that, while painkiller overdoses around the country increased between 1999 and 2010, the increases were higher in states that do not allow patients to use marijuana. On average, states where the drug is legal had 24.8 percent less painkiller-related overdoses than those where it is not.
“Examination of the association between medical cannabis laws and opioid analgesic overdose mortality in each year after implementation of the law showed that such laws were associated with a lower rate of overdose mortality that generally strengthened over time,” the study stated.
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http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/08/26/researchers-say-medical-marijuana-use-cuts-painkiller-overdoses-by-25-percent/
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