US states that have legalised medical marijuana have witnessed a dramatic reduction in the number of prescriptions for painkillers across several diseases, a study shows.
The study using Medicare data found the average physician in a state without access to medical marijuana prescribed 31 810 doses of pain medication, compared to 28 166 does in states where medical marijuana was legalised.
The researchers said their findings add to the “growing body of evidence suggesting that the schedule 1 status [deemed to be harmful with no medical value] of marijuana is out-dated.”