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.iedical marijuana could help solve the opioid epidemic,Dr. Sanjay G... https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/24/health/medical-marijuana-opioid-ep. <br /> Health + Live TV U.S. Edition + <br /> described as the worst self-inflicted epidemic in the history of our country. <br /> The drug overdose scourge claimed about 88,000 US <br /> { TV. <loili60: lives in 2017,just over 45,000 of them from opioids <br /> t� '„' ' alone. Every day, 115 Americans die from opioid <br /> , -, ' overdoses. It has fueled a decline in an entire country's <br /> ,• f life expectancy and will be remembered as a sad and <br /> ,,,,-_.,;, t, ".1 t.,'; 4 • tragic chapter in our collective history. <br /> •'' J .`,,, "4 . • 2 These are desperate times, and while some may <br /> i, r~ x <br /> -:•. <br /> .* '�" �,. � consider making medical marijuana widely available to <br /> -- be a desperate measure, the evidence has become <br /> increasingly clear of the important role cannabis can <br /> have. <br /> Related Article: Why I changed my mind <br /> We have seen real-world clues of medical marijuana's <br /> on weed benefits. Researchers from the Rand Corp., supported <br /> by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, conducted <br /> "the most detailed examination of medical marijuana <br /> and opioid deaths to date” and found something few initially expected. The analysis showed an <br /> approximately 20% decline in opioid overdose deaths between 1999 and 2010 in states with legalized <br /> medical marijuana and functioning dispensaries. <br /> It's not the first time this association between medical marijuana and opioid overdose has been found. <br /> Though it is too early to draw a cause-effect relationship,these data suggest that medicinal marijuana could <br /> save up to 10,000 lives every year. <br /> The science of weed <br /> Cannabis and its compounds show potential to save lives in three important ways. <br /> Cannabis can help treat pain, reducing the initial need for opioids. Cannabis is also effective at easing opioid <br /> withdrawal symptoms, much like it does for cancer patients, ill from chemotherapy side effects. Finally, and <br /> perhaps most important, the compounds found in cannabis can heal the diseased addict's brain, helping <br /> them break the cycle of addiction. <br /> Mr. Sessions, there is no other known substance that can accomplish all this. If we had to start from scratch <br /> and design a medicine to help lead us out of the opioid epidemic, it would likely look very much like <br /> cannabis. <br /> A better, and safer, way to treat pain <br /> The consensus is clear: Cannabis can effectively treat pain. The National Academies of Sciences, <br /> )f 5 5/1/2018, 12:49 PIV <br />