Opioid overdoses have increased in states with legal medical marijuana

Medical marijuana is NOT the solution to the opioid epidemic: Overdose deaths are HIGHER in US states that sell prescription pot, study suggests Medical marijuana is now legal in some form in 47 states in the US  Some studies have suggested that legal marijuana may help to drive down rates of fatal opioid overdoses - but drug deaths continue to surge A new Stanford University study suggests that opioid overdoses have actually increased by 23 percent in states with legal medical marijuana since 2014  The analysis does not look at recreational marijuana and just 2.5 percent of the population uses medical pot  

By Natalie Rahhal Deputy Health Editor For Dailymail.com

Published: 20:04 BST, 10 June 2019 | Updated: 20:05 BST, 10 June 2019

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Legalization of medical marijuana has not helped to cut rate of deadly opioid overdoses, a new study suggests. 

As some 130 Americans a day die after an opioid overdose, public health officials and researchers are desperately trying to work out what will stem the epidemic - and what won't. 

A widely-cited 2014 study suggested that where cannabis was legal, opioid overdoses slowed. 

But a new Stanford University study argues that the opposite is true - at least for medical marijuana. 

Researchers there found that between 2014 and 2017, opioid overdoses actually increased by 23 percent in states where medical marijuana had been legalized. 

Painkillers or pot? New research suggests that opioid overdose deaths did not decline in states that legalized medical marijuana

Painkillers or pot? New research suggests that opioid overdose deaths did not decline in states that legalized medical marijuana

Data paints a different picture depending on whether scientists compare opioid deaths to all marijuana use, recreational or medical marijuana use, and even different geographical breakdowns of dispensaries.  

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