Painkiller overdose deaths may be decreased by medical marijuana laws

Painkiller overdose deaths may be decreased by medical marijuana laws

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08/27/2014 // West Palm Beach, Florida, US // JusticeNewsFlash // Justice News Flash // (press release)

U.S. – A recent study shows that a significantly lower number of deaths caused by painkiller overdoses were shown in states that have legalized medical marijuana. As reported by CNN, researchers examined medical marijuana laws and death certificate data from 1999 to 2010 and found that there were an estimated 1,700 fewer deaths in 2010 alone in those states that what would have been anticipated prior to the passage of these laws.

Lead study author Dr. Marcus Bachhuber, is quoted as stating of the findings, “We found there was about a 25% lower rate of prescription painkiller overdose deaths on average after implementation of a medical marijuana law.”

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, the rise in drug overdose deaths have made them the leading cause of injury death in the U.S.

Colleen Barry, a senior author on the study and associate professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is quoted as stating of the issue, “Prescription drug abuse and deaths due to overdose have emerged as national public health crises…As our awareness of the addiction and overdose risks … grows, individuals with chronic pain and their medical providers may be opting to treat pain entirely or in part with medical marijuana.”

This report is provided by Justice News Flash – U.S. Legal News

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