Is marijuana a secret weapon against the opioid epidemic?

We spend a good deal of time talking about the opioid crisis in what is, after all, a medical cannabis blog, and we think it’s occasionally worth emphasizing the three main reasons reasons why, especially with the Ballot Initiative nearing the signature gathering phase….

1. Nearly all recognize the severity of the problem and that something has to be done ASAP:

Including US Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who rightly observes: “The country is in the throes of a heroin and opioid epidemic,” as prescription opioid and heroin overdoses kill 91 Americans daily.

2. As we’ve reported, there are now multiple reputable studies (FDA , DEA, UMA and other foot draggers, take note) showing that the problem decreases in legal medical cannabis states by up to 25-33% (these studies are discussed in the link below). So not the “gateway” in (that’s mostly Dr.’s prescriptions), rather a gateway OUT….

3. Yet and still, even in 2017 there are prominent people (and not so prominent people we need to reach) who are out on the hustings proclaiming, against all evidence, that legalizing medical cannabis will actually increase our net drug-related societal problems:

Here’s the AG again – and he is sadly not alone among the speechifying class – blatantly spouting propaganda: “I am astonished to hear people suggest that we can solve our heroin crisis by legalizing marijuana — so, people can trade one life-wrecking dependency for another that’s only slightly less awful.”

Mr. Sessions is thus claiming that adding medical cannabis to society’s medical tool lit is like throwing gas on the burning opioid crisis, when the truth is 180 degrees in the opposite direction: DENYING medical cannabis is like taking away one of the best working extinguishers our “firemen” fighting the problem have….

So. With these three points in mind, you can help us spread the facts and dispel the fog of ignorance in the upcoming debate.

We feel this problem (not to discount all the other benefits of medical cannabis) is among the most important to deal with NOW to combat needless daily deaths due to many people’s lack of understanding of the key differences between cannabis and opiates.

Thanks for being our readers and community ambassadors in our educational efforts, and we hope you enjoy not only the rest of the informative attached article, but others of our posts…

…Without all of you, there is no TRUCE….

#MMJ #Opioids #SpreadTheTruth #StopTheMadness #Initiative18 #UtahNext #TRUCE

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