The Daily Blog Open Mic – Monday 15th May 2017

1. From ‘New Scientist’

   ‘Medical marijuana may be a salve for the US opioid epidemic’

   https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23431233-500-marijuana-easing-clinical-pain/

   “GROWING evidence that medical marijuana really does help relieve some conditions is leading to hopes that it may assist in curbing the US opioid addiction epidemic.

   In the US, 28 states have legalised medical marijuana in some form. Conditions sometimes treated with cannabis include pain, depression, nausea, psychosis and seizures.

   Now, an analysis of data from 2007 to 2014 has shown that states with legalised medical marijuana spent less than others on prescriptions for those five conditions through Medicaid, a scheme for people on low incomes.

   The study couldn’t prove that medical marijuana caused this difference. But no difference was found in prescriptions for conditions unlikely to be treated with cannabis.

   This might also be good news for efforts to cut the US opioid epidemic, which is seeing record numbers of deaths from prescription painkillers and illegal opioids. Some studies have found that the availability of medical marijuana is linked to fewer opioid overdose deaths…

   https://www.businessinsider.com.au/opioid-crisis-and-insys-therapeutics-fentanyl-spray-2017-4

2. @ red buzzard – The benefits have been proven – NZ needs to get with the picture!

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