States with medical marijuana laws saw 20 percent drop in some opioid prescriptions
States with active medical marijuana laws saw certain opioid prescription rates drop nearly 20 percent compared to states without medical marijuana programs, according to a first-of-its-kind study out of Columbia University’s Irving Medical Center.
Authors said the findings underscore the importance of providing patients with pain management alternatives, such as cannabis, in efforts to reduce opioid use.
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Senate bill could legalize medical marijuana in North Carolina
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT) — Medical marijuana is legal in 36 states. Now, the state General Assembly could make North Carolina the latest state to open up the market to cannabis. Medical cannabis advocates are trying to throw veterans a lifeline with Senate Bill 711. “The veteran suicide rate is twice the national average in North Carolina,…
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Illinois dispensary to allow patients to substitute medical marijuana for opioids prescription
SPRINGFIELD, ILL. (KMOV.com) — Thursday, Illinois will become the first state to launch a revised medical marijuana program. The program allows pain suffers who use opioids to temporarily switch to medical marijuana. Following months of planning, the new initiative will launch at the HCI Alternatives medical cannabis dispensary in Springfield, Illinois. In a press release,…
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New approach to medical marijuana coming ‘very soon,’ DeSantis says
TALLAHASSEE — With one of his chief advisers tweeting the hashtag “NoSmokeIsAJoke,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday he will “very soon” announce changes in how the state is carrying out a constitutional amendment that broadly legalized medical marijuana. Read the full story here.
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Florida’s largest cannabis company makes a deal to carry edible marijuana products
TALLAHASSEE The state’s first and largest medical marijuana provider, Trulieve, signed an exclusive deal to bring high-end edible marijuana products to Florida, the company announced Wednesday. Binske, the Colorado-based company, began operations just two years ago, markets “an experience” through their top-shelf products. Florida’s 162,000 registered patients will soon be able to buy and medicate…
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LEGALIZING CANNABIS LINKED TO LESS OPIOID PRESCRIPTIONS, COULD HELP COMBAT EPIDEMIC, SCIENTISTS SAY
There are less opioid prescriptions on average in U.S. states where medical and recreational marijuana are legal, research has revealed. Access to recreational cannabis in the U.S. was tied with a 11.8 percent lower rate of opioids prescriptions each day, and 4.2 percent for medical marijuana. The authors of the paper published in the Journal of Health Economics said recreational weed…
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Medical Marijuana a Hit With Seniors
In a new survey, those who turned to it for treating chronic pain reported it reduced pain and decreased the need for opioid painkillers. Nine out of 10 liked it so much they said they’d recommend medical pot to others. “I was on Percocet and replaced it with medical marijuana. Thank you, thank you, thank you,” said one senior. Another patient put…
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