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Senator Asks CDC to Research Marijuana as New Age Painkiller

Marijuana Painkillers Opioids

Senator Elizabeth Warren wants to do something legislative and force authorities to explore marijuana as a legitimate alternative to opioid pain killers. Medical marijuana, primarily CBD and THC, have noted a 30-percent improvement in treating pain, according to multiple studies.

Warren gained support from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) chief Tom Friedan. He constructed a letter asking the CDC to take a deeper look at “the impact of the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana on opioid overdose deaths.”

Studies have shown that 80-percent of medical marijuana patients have substituted the natural substance for synthetic painkillers. In addition, 52-percent claimed to drink less alcohol when using medical marijuana. Statistical information from a study published in 2014 in JAMA Internal Medicine showed a 24.8-percent reduction in deaths associated with opioid overdoses in states where medical or recreational marijuana is legal, reports The Washington Post.

Researchers have concluded, in various studies, that, “Our findings suggest that providing broader access to medical marijuana may have the potential benefit of reducing abuse of highly addictive painkillers.”

Information provided by the CDC shows that 20,000 deaths in 2014 were associated with opioid pain medication overdoses. Further research conducted by the CDC could prove to be pivotal in solidifying that marijuana is safer than prescription opioid painkillers.