Opioid Use Declines As The Cannabis Industry Grows
Throughout 2019 and into 2020 studies came out that in legal cannabis states, opioid use was declining. Although this is not certain across the board, the data is definitely very exciting. This just goes to shows that leading marijuana stocks may be able to fight one of the nation’s biggest enemies. In a study conducted by Columbia University, prescriptions for opioids were almost 20% less. This is in comparison to states that did not have legal cannabis. This is a major breakthrough for pot stocks and the cannabis industry at large.
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The U.S. has been facing an extreme epidemic, besides coronavirus, for years at this point. Opioid use has skyrocketed in the past decade, leading to large overdoses and extreme addiction rates. Much of this has come from the overprescription of the substance and not from addicts getting pills on the street. In the U.S., overdoses continue to be the number one cause of deaths from injury. The highlights the fact that 70% of those deaths are involved in the use of opioids. This study shows just how important pot stocks and the cannabis industry is and can be to the nation. With that in mind, it’s worth taking a closer look at.
What Do The Study’s Show About Cannabis Use And Opioids
One of the researchers involved in the study discussed the relationship between the cannabis industry and the opioid epidemic. They stated that “although our study does not support a direct causal relationship, these population-level findings show that legalization of medical cannabis and patient access to dispensaries may be associated with reductions in opioid prescribing by orthopedic surgeons. The observed trends reported in this study may be a reflection of the growing availability of alternative pain management options for patients.”
Marijuana stocks like GW Pharmaceuticals Inc. (GWPH stock report) have been working hard to create alternative pharmaceuticals utilizing cannabis compounds. Because of this, a large number of pot stocks have tried to help curb this epidemic. The study went on to state that “we found that overall opioid prescribing by orthopedic surgeons in this cohort was reduced in states permitting access to medical cannabis, compared with those who do not.”
How This Could Change the Cannabis Industry
One of the foundation points of the cannabis industry is to offer easy access to marijuana for those who need it. This study is just one of many that details the benefits of cannabis at a small and large scale. The study showed that state laws surrounding medicinal cannabis “were associated with a statistically significant reduction of 72,000 daily doses of hydrocodone annually.”
Although this alone is not a conclusive definition for why we should legalize cannabis. Yet it definitely is a stepping stone for that to occur. All marijuana stocks are waiting for the day when cannabis becomes legal in the U.S. Legalizing marijuana on a widespread level would be the single biggest change to the cannabis industry since its inception. Because of that, the hopes are that we can see opioid use reduction in the meantime.
Will Cannabis Be The New Opioid Craze
It’s not so much that cannabis stocks are fighting the opioid epidemic, but rather the business of these stocks that are. To elaborate cannabis companies that grow marijuana or produce CBD offers an alternative to taking opioids. For those looking to wean themselves off of opioids, cannabis offers a fighting chance. So the more people who purchase cannabis help drive volume up for marijuana stocks. So in conclusion, as the cannabis industry puts a cap on opioids use hopefully more people find the benefits to use marijuana to do so.
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