Medical Marijuana leads to fewer overdoses | The Johns Hopkins Newsletter

By SUNNY CAI
LEARN.GENETICS.UTAH.EDU
 

While binging on Twinkies, picking up daddies at the playground and drinking up all your money may not constitute constructive life decisions, Tove Lo might be on to something in her 2014 single “Stay High,” in which she documents her experiences of, well, getting high.

Although remaining under the influence of marijuana for extended periods of time is poor medical advice for anyone, new research shows that in states where medical marijuana use for chronic pain management is legal, the annual number of deaths from prescription drug overdose is 25 percent lower than in states where medical marijuana use is still illegal.

The study, published in the Aug. 25 issue of JAMA Internal Medicine, suggests that despite the controversy over medical marijuana laws, the drug may have unexpected benefits as well. The findings of the study suggest that the wider availability of medical marijuana for people suffering from chronic or severe pain might help to decrease the rising number of deaths attributed to prescription painkiller overdose.

Full Article:

http://www.jhunewsletter.com/2014/09/18/medical-marijuana-leads-to-fewer-overdoses-96744/