by Amy Wilding-Fox
A published article in April in the Cornell Chronicle reported a first-time study on how legal marijuana can reduce opioid demand, as well as decrease prescription drug usage through Medicaid programs.
The study, conducted by Shyam Raman from Cornell, and Ashley Bradford, from Indiana University, found that in states that have legalized recreational pot in some form, there has been a decrease for drugs, especially drugs for sleeping, anxiety, pain, and seizures.
“About 40 states have legalized medical marijuana that must be prescribed by a doctor. So far, about 20 states have legalized personal-use cannabis for all adults, but that number is likely to rise. In those states, Raman and Bradford found a meaningful change in the demand for drugs used to treat sleep and anxiety disorders but no real impact on drugs used to treat nausea. *
The research did also conclude that cannabis use can trigger anxiety and schizophrenia, as well as a lowering of doctor visits which decreases primary care.
The research was conducted in all 50 states from the years 2011 and 2019, which was a time where many of the U.S. states began legalizing marijuana.
*Sourced from Cornell Chronicle, digital journal
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