Saturday, August 30, 2014

25% fewer OD deaths where pot legal, study finds

Fewer Painkiller Deaths in States With Medical Marijuana: Study – WebMD - Dennis Thompson:

August 25, 2014 - "States that have legalized medical marijuana tend to experience an unexpected benefit -- fewer overdose deaths from narcotic painkillers, a new study suggests.

"Access to medical marijuana is associated with 25 percent fewer prescription drug overdose deaths each year compared to states where medical pot is illegal, according to findings published Aug. 25 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

"What's more, states that pass medical marijuana laws see their overdose death rates decrease dramatically in the years immediately afterward, researchers reported.

"The study authors believe that people suffering from chronic pain tend to rely on medical marijuana when they have that option, which reduces the risk of addiction and overdose that accompanies use of narcotic medications.

"''We think that people with chronic pain may be choosing to treat their pain with marijuana rather than with prescription painkillers, in states where this is legal,' said lead author Dr. Marcus Bachhuber, a researcher with the Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center."

Read more: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20140825/fewer-painkiller-deaths-in-states-with-medical-marijuana-study
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