According to studies, legal marijuana could help curb America’s opioid epidemic.
Researchers compared opioid prescription patterns in states with and without medical marijuana laws. The studies revealed that states with medical marijuana had 2.2 million fewer doses of opioids prescribed per year.
According to CNN, opioid prescriptions under Medicaid dropped by 5.88 percent in the states with medical marijuana. Experts say marijuana has been shown to be effective in treating chronic pain and other conditions, similar to opioids.
The studies were published Monday in the Journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that 115 Americans on average die every day from an opioid overdose.
