Rates of Opioid Painkiller Use Continue to Rise, Even in States that Legalize Medical Marijuana
Supporters of medical marijuana have often said that legalizing cannabis for medicinal pain relief purposes may help reduce the need for opioid painkillers. Proponents argue replacing opioid painkillers with medicinal cannabis will reduce painkiller addiction, overdose, and death, as millions of pain patients will switch from opioids to medicinal cannabis once cannabis is legal.