2020 saw a nearly 30 percent increase in drug overdose deaths. The total number of deaths hasn’t been made official, but the CDC predicts it will be well over 93,000. Over 50 percent of those deaths, an estimated 57,550, were associated with synthetic opioids, like Fentanyl. Fentanyl can be upwards of 50 times more potent than morphine. Experts believe the increased use of synthetic opioids like Fentanyl and the Covid-19 pandemic were large contributing factors to the increase in drug overdose deaths.
Last year, Covid-19 was the third highest cause of death in the states, following heart disease and cancer. Unintended injuries, which include drug overdoses, is the fourth highest cause of death.
Political leaders and candidates are taking to Twitter to express their opinions. South Carolina democratic gubernatorial candidate Joe Cunningham asked followers, “(do you) wonder how many of these 93,000 people would still be alive if marijuana was legal nationally?”
New Research
With an increase of opioid related deaths, many have been cautious of using opioid prescriptions for various health aspects, like chronic pain or arthritis medications. This has led some to switch to cannabis as medicine (CaM) instead of using their prescription. New research confirms that the switch is increasing as time goes on.
Research recently became published through the BMC Infectious Disease peer-reviewed journal. Scientists looked at patients 18 and older with opioid prescriptions, and looked into anyone using cannabis recreationally or medically. A majority of participants used recreational cannabis before receiving their opioid prescription. More than half of participants used CaM with the intended purpose of replacing their prescription.
A majority of participants who chose CaM were female, and used CaM for chronic pain and other somatic conditions. 67 percent used CaM for pain meds, 24.5 percent used CaM as an antidepressant, and the last 20.5 percent used CaM for arthritis pain specifically.
38 percent of participants completely stopped using their prescription drugs when they switched to CaM. 46 percent said that they had a substantial decrease in prescription drug use with CaM. For those using CaM, 65 percent of those who substituted prescription drugs for CaM switched to CBD oil, while the other 35 percent used smokable cannabis itself. The biggest differences participants reported, however, were the side effects. 85 percent of participants said the side effects associated with prescription opioid drugs made them feel much worse compared to the side effects of CaM.
Future
Doctors and scientists are still looking into the long term effects of using CaM, but the initial response is presenting itself through public use and new cannabis legalization laws across the country. Before changing your medication, consult with a doctor about what is best for you and your lifestyle.
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