A Shocking New Study on Cannabis Shows is Could Replace Opioids as Pain Medication

While many people still associate cannabis with getting high, scientists are beginning to associate cannabis with medical miracles. It has always been rumored that cannabis contained medicinal properties that assisted with pain relief, however the pharmaceutical industry, along with the regulating bodies of the U.S. government have disagreed, until now. A new study published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research confirmed the efficacy of cannabis as medicine in over 3,000 patients. What's more is that those who were once on pain medications ultimately ended up opting for cannabis as a pain-relieving medicine over pharmaceutical opioids.¹These types of medications include codeine, fentanyl, hydrocodone, acetaminophen, meperidine and heroin. Every year an estimated 69,000 people die from overdose of these types of medications and so, while this is seemingly great news for the health of the world, the pharmaceutical companies on the other hand feel differently.² A Purpose of ProfitDid you know that large corporations and businesses pay millions of dollars to influence legislatures in America to act in their best interests? Sadly, this is what lobbying in American politics is all about! Now, one of the largest and most powerful corporations to influence laws in America is the pharmaceutical industry.The pharmaceutical industry has been threatened for years by effective natural remedies, but they cannot hide from the truth much longer. With the development of legal medicinal cannabis, everything may change. Today, not only is cannabis becoming more acceptable and medically recognized in the United States but the same holds true globally. In fact, just this year the World Health Organization and the United Nations decided to take action against drug decriminalization like cannabis.³ Hooray! But what does it all mean?Well … essentially this new approach to healthcare allows people to choose for themselves which medicine is right for them based on their evaluation of their symptoms, and NOT what the pharmaceutical industry or the government allows. Today, many people are beginning to wake up and realize that cannabis is a natural solution to pain relief. The hope is that when left to their own choice, people in pain will rather choose medical marijuana than opioids. The Cannabis MythFor years, people were told that cannabis is a gateway drug, but a recent story in Newsweek revealed that pharmaceuticals NOT marijuana are the real gateway drug. The reality is that cannabis is by no means an addictive drug that will cause patients to want more extreme drugs. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. With more states legalizing cannabis as medicine, treatment centers have been able to help patients on opiates, eventually helping them to eliminate the risk of dependency or overdose.In a recent survey of over 3,000 patients here were some shocking results:

•       97% “strongly agreed/agreed” they could decrease opioid medication use when using cannabis.
•       92% “strongly agreed/agreed” they preferred cannabis to treat their condition.
•       81% “strongly agreed/agreed” using cannabis instead of opiates was more effective than cannabis with opiates.⁴

  The True Cost of CannabisGiven the new direction of medical cannabis and scientific studies proving its efficacy, the pharmaceutical industry is beginning to panic. And with good reason! The increase of popularity for cannabis over opioids could cost the pharmaceutical industry over $4.5 billion, according to a study by New Frontier. Out of this study, New Frontier discovered that, “There is significant savings to be realized in the health care system both to consumers and the U.S. government. It is estimated that cannabis and related products can replace between $4.4 billion and $4.9 billion of current annual spending on those existing treatments.”⁵On top of these shocking numbers, what’s even more shocking is that through legalization of cannabis the government could save nearly $72 billion in ambulatory, inpatient, and emergency care. See why they're getting nervous?The Growth of Cannabis is Just BeginningAs the studies continue to prove that marijuana is medicine, more and more people are beginning to realize the truth behind the pharmaceutical industry. In this, it indirectly exposes how passionate the pharmaceutical industry is at preventing the legalization of the cannabis.In the name of opiates, today, the American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, and Pharmaceutical Research & Manufactures of America spend collectively close to $3 billion a year.⁶Given the growth of medicinal cannabis, this may be the year that not only Americans, but people all over the world get the freedom to choose which healthcare is best for them. Just think of the possibilities!What are you waiting for? Go burn one and think on it!References

1. Reiman Amanda, Welty Mark, Solomon Perry. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research. Cannabis as a Substitute for Opioid-Based Pain Medication: Patient Self-Report. Volume: 2 Issue 1: June 1, 2017.
2. Management of substance abuse. Community management of opioid overdose. World Health Organization. 2014.
3. Joint United Nations statement on ending discrimination in health care settings. Joint WHO/UN statement. 27 June 2017.
4. Boeri, Miriam. Marijuana Is Not, Repeat Not, a Gateway Drug. Newsweek 4/25/15.
5. J.J. McCoy. A Prescription to Disrupt the Pharmaceutical Industry. New Frontier Data. 5/21/2017.
6. https://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/top.php?indexType=s