According to a Centers for Disease Control report, opioids, including pain-relievers, killed more than 28,000 people in 2014. Prescription opioids are prescribed to hundreds and thousands of people daily in the US. Although its usage has quadrupled since 1999, there’s still no significant impact on pain reported by Americans.
Medical cannabis is considered an excellent alternative prescription to opioids. Research confirms that medical cannabis shows lower mortality rates than opioid overdose. Many other studies have conducted thorough research into cannabis as a substitute for opioids and have reported about 50% fewer side effects.
Long-term use of opioids has shown no significant impact on pain management, yet it continues to kill thousands of people. If you don’t have your medical marijuana card now, go to our website to get one!
This post will show if medical cannabis is better for pain management or opioids.
1. Low Mortality Rates
The US introduced medical cannabis programs due to the opioid overdose epidemic in the country. According to research, states with medical marijuana laws saw a 24.8% decrease in the average opioid overdose deaths in a year. There’s still not enough research to confirm a causal link between medical marijuana laws and reduced deaths due to opioids, but it has shown promising results until now.
1. Fewer Side-Effects
Some common side-effects of medical marijuana include light-headedness, dry mouth, and fatigue. Due to its relaxing effects, it’s recommended to be consumed during nighttime. On the other hand, the side effects of opioids include constipation, vomiting, nausea, sedation, and dry mouth.
2. Addictiveness to Drugs
Last but not the most important—addictiveness!
It’s one of the many factors that led the US government to launch medical marijuana laws. Overdose of opioids is mainly due to their addictiveness. Opioids activate powerful reward centers in the brain, which eventually turns into drug addiction. Overdose of opioids can also lead to instant death.
In contrast, it’s highly unlikely to overdose on marijuana. It’s a Schedule 1 drug with the potential for addiction due to its mind-altering benefits. Still, most research suggests it helps treat anxiety, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, and other illnesses. In short, it’s not as damaging and life-threatening as opioids.
Don’t Have Medical Marijuana Card? Register for It Now
Don’t wait; go to our website today, register for the card, get a doctor’s consultation, and get your medical marijuana card online delivered to your doorstep. We’re a licensed dispensary helping hundreds of patients in the US.
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