Overdose Death Rates Drop in States with Medical Marijuana Laws
From the article:
Overdose death rates from prescription opioid painkillers and illicit drugs such as heroin have declined significantly in states with medical marijuana laws, according to controversial new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Critics immediately attacked the study as flawed, while supporters of medical marijuana say it adds to the growing body of evidence that cannabis is a safer and more effective analgesic than opioids.
Researchers studied death certificate data from13 states where medical marijuana was legal between 1999 and 2010. They found those states had nearly a 25% lower death rate from opiates than states without such laws.
In 2010, that translated to about 1,729 fewer deaths than expected.
The association with lower overdose death rates grew stronger over time, with states reporting an average of 33% fewer deaths by the 6th year that medical marijuana was legal.
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