“American states that permitted legal access to marijuana through medical cannabis laws or legalized its adult recreational use saw falls in opioid prescriptions over a five year period, research has found.
Researchers from the University of Georgia conducted longitudinal analysis of Medicare Part D records from 2010 to 2015. Their findings, published in JAMA Internal Medicine,1 showed a significant 14.4% average reduction in opioid prescriptions in states that allowed medical marijuana dispensaries. The effect was particularly pronounced in hydrocodone and morphine use.”