Medical Marijuana Saves Lives

Medical Marijuana Saves Lives With so many political crises to attend to daily, it’s hard not to let important issues fall by the wayside. However, with the unveiling of the Republican plan to reform the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the powerful opposition to that plan, nothing is being done to address the opioid abuse epidemic our nation faces. Every day we turn our attention to other matters, Americans die of overdose. But there is something we can do while the national debate on health insurance rages – encourage the use of medical marijuana for pain sufferers. More than half the states in the nation and the District of Columbia have legalized the medical use of marijuana. Although the current administration has vowed not change marijuana’s status as an illegal substance on a national level, there is real reason to allow marijuana for medical use. In states where medical marijuana is legal, those with pain conditions will often choose marijuana over opioids, reducing the number of overdose deaths in those states by 25%. Pharmaceutical companies have fought the use of medical marijuana, even though it clearly saves lives. In states with legal medical marijuana, fewer opioid prescriptions are written and filled, cutting into profits. The pharmaceutical companies are not beholden to patients, but to shareholders. Because of this, patients must be vocal advocates for their own healthcare needs. The number of opioid related deaths in the United States has been rising sin...
Source: Cliffside Malibu - Category: Addiction Authors: Tags: Richard Taite Source Type: blogs