Opioids vs Medical Marijuana: Comparing the Dangers

Opioids vs Medical Marijuana: Comparing the Dangers

Which One Is More Dangerous?

Painkillers, or Opioid medication, take thousands of american lives every year . We feel it is ironic that the use of opioid drugs is generally encouraged throughout most of society and yet the responsible use of medical marijuana, a therapeutic solution that is virtually side effect free and has taken zero lives, has a bad reputation and is even discouraged among many Americans. We did a little research and wanted to share this information with our clientele and followers.

The Data

An article in the New England Journal of Medicine spells out exactly how many opioid-induced deaths there were in 2010 (read article here: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMsa1406143)

17,000 deaths to be exact.

However, this was back in 2010. What about 2016? An article by the American Society of Addiction Medicine states that there are now over 40,000 related cases. (Read more here: http://www.asam.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/opioid-addiction-disease-facts-figures.pd)

A Name to the Face

According to harvard.edu, “Hydrocodone (Vicodin) and oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet, Percodan) are the most commonly used and abused of the opioids. Others in this family of drugs are codeine, fentanyl (Duragesic patch), hydromorphone (Dilaudid), meperidine (Demerol), morphine (MS Contin), and tramadol (Ultram). These drugs block pain perception in the brain.” (Website: http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/report-highlights-dangers-opioid-painkillers-201501157615).

What You Should Consider

In light of all the evidence supporting the efficacy of medical marijuana in contrast to the dangers of opioid use, we urge our clients and readers to reconsider the societal norms surrounding medical marijuana, especially when compared with the dangers that opioid addiction can present. The pharmaceutical industry has spent millions in an effort to de-fund medical marijuana research and to advertise that is not a viable solution to pain management as well as a plethora of other benefits.

To learn more, call our office today or schedule a consultation.