HEALTH

Medical pot laws no answer for US opioid deaths, study finds

Jun 11, 2019, 1:21 PM

medical marijuana growers opioid prescription deaths...

FILE - In this May 20, 2019, file photo photo head of cultivation at Loving Kindness Farms Jason Roberts checks one of his marijuana plants in a grow room wearing green lights not to wake them wake them during their night cycle in Gardena, Calif. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

(AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)

By CARLA K. JOHNSON AP Medical Writer

A new study shoots down the notion that medical marijuana laws can prevent opioid overdose deaths, challenging a favorite talking point of legal pot advocates.

Researchers repeated an analysis that sparked excitement years ago. The previous work linked medical marijuana laws to slower than expected increases in state prescription opioid death rates from 1999 to 2010. The original authors speculated patients might be substituting marijuana for painkillers, but they warned against drawing conclusions.

Still, states ravaged by painkiller overdose deaths began to rethink marijuana, leading several to legalize pot for medical use.

When the new researchers included data through 2017, they found the reverse: States passing medical marijuana laws saw a 23% higher than expected rate of deaths involving prescription opioids.

Legalizing medical marijuana “is not going to be a solution to the opioid overdose crisis,” said Chelsea Shover of Stanford University School of Medicine. “It would be wonderful if that were true, but the evidence doesn’t suggest that it is.”

Shover and colleagues reported the findings Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It’s unlikely, they said, that medical marijuana laws caused first one big effect and then the opposite. Any beneficial link was likely coincidental all along.

“We don’t think it’s reasonable to say it was saving lives before but it’s killing people now,” Shover said.

In the opioid crisis, dozens of forces are playing out across the nation in different ways. How widely available is the overdose antidote naloxone? Who has insurance? How broadly does insurance cover addiction treatment?

What’s more, prescription pills once were involved in the largest share of overdose deaths, but that changed as heroin and then fentanyl surged. The studies on marijuana laws and opioid deaths don’t account for that.

The new study undermines recent policy changes in some states. Last week, New Mexico joined New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in approving marijuana for patients with opioid addiction.

“I was told my paper helped change the law in New York. I was appalled,” said Rosalie Liccardo Pacula of the Rand Drug Policy Research Center. She co-authored a 2018 study on marijuana laws and overdose deaths.

Experts agree evidence doesn’t support marijuana as a treatment for opioid addiction. Drugs like buprenorphine, morphine and naltrexone should be used instead, Pacula said.

Authors of the original research welcomed the new analysis.

“We weren’t happy when a billboard went up saying marijuana laws reduce overdose deaths,” said Brendan Saloner of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “That was very hard for us to rein in.”

Marijuana has been shown to help ease chronic pain, and other studies have suggested medical marijuana laws may reduce opioid prescribing. So there’s still reason to believe that for some people, marijuana can substitute for opioids as a pain reliever.

As for addiction and the overdose crisis, “we should focus our research and policies on other questions that might make a difference,” Shover said.
___

Follow AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson on Twitter: @CarlaKJohnson
___

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Send it to the KSL NewsRadio team here.

Today’s Top Stories

Health

A new release from Intermountain Healthcare shows that younger adults are becoming more susceptible...

Waverly Golden

Younger adults are becoming more susceptible to strokes

A new release from Intermountain Healthcare shows that younger adults are becoming more susceptible to stroke.

11 months ago

Melissa Coleman crouches next to her husband, , Brad Coleman, of North Ogden, who sits in a wheelch...

Jenny Carpenter, KSL.com

Young stroke victim survives with quick, lifesaving treatment in northern Utah

After a 36-year-old man had a stroke, he and his wife say to be aware of the signs of stroke and that young people are also at risk.

11 months ago

(Canva)...

Michelle Lee

How, and why, a hobby can bring joy to your life

If it brings you pleasure, is meaningful, and you can do it regularly, you've got yourself a hobby! Here's why they can benefit us so much.

11 months ago

A new release from Intermountain Healthcare shows that younger adults are becoming more susceptible...

Alexandrea Bonilla

Utah clinics winning the fight against overprescribed antibiotics

Intermountain Health and the University of Utah found that urgent-care facilities were more likely to prescribe antibiotics as a quick, easy solution.

11 months ago

Utah Food Bank...

Allessandra Harris

Utah Food Bank aims to ‘Stamp Out Hunger’ this summer

The Utah Food Bank is joining forces with the Letter Carriers Union to collect non-perishable food items for those in need.

11 months ago

...

LEANNE ITALIE AP Entertainment Writer

Mommy blogger Heather Armstrong, known as Dooce to fans, dead at 47

Armstrong had laid bare her struggles as a mother and her battles with depression and alcoholism on her site, Dooce.com, and on social media since 2001.

11 months ago

Sponsored Articles

close up of rose marvel saliva blooms in purple...

Shannon Cavalero

Drought Tolerant Perennials for Utah

The best drought tolerant plants for Utah can handle high elevations, alkaline soils, excessive exposure to wind, and use of secondary water.

Group of cheerful team members high fiving each other...

Visit Bear Lake

How To Plan a Business Retreat in Bear Lake This Spring

Are you wondering how to plan a business retreat this spring? Read our sample itinerary to plan a team getaway to Bear Lake.

Cheerful young woman writing an assignment while sitting at desk between two classmates during clas...

BYU EMBA at the Marriott School of Business

Hear it Firsthand: 6 Students Share Their Executive MBA Experience at BYU’s Marriott School of Business

The Executive MBA program at BYU offers great opportunities. Hear experiences straight from students enrolled in the program.

Skier being towed by a rider on a horse. Skijoring....

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Looking for a New Winter Activity? Try Skijoring in Bear Lake

Skijoring is when someone on skis is pulled by a horse, dog, animal, or motor vehicle. The driver leads the skiers through an obstacle course over jumps, hoops, and gates.

Banner with Cervical Cancer Awareness Realistic Ribbon...

Intermountain Health

Five Common Causes of Cervical Cancer – and What You Can Do to Lower Your Risk

January is National Cervical Cancer Awareness month and cancer experts at Intermountain Health are working to educate women about cervical cancer.

Kid holding a cisco fish at winterfest...

Bear Lake Convention and Visitors Bureau

Get Ready for Fun at the 2023 Bear Lake Monster Winterfest

The Bear Lake Monster Winterfest is an annual weekend event jam-packed full of fun activities the whole family can enjoy.

Medical pot laws no answer for US opioid deaths, study finds