Change is happening, and if you’re reading this, you’re in the thick of it. With new cannabis laws emerging and states granting access to patients, trends are starting to become apparent enough to show us how great of an idea medical cannabis is.

Medicare Is Filling Fewer Prescriptions

According to a study published this year, Medicare found that only 2.11 million daily doses of opioid prescriptions were filled opposed to 23.08 million when a state allowed medical cannabis use. This is a huge disparity when we consider the opioid crisis we are currently battling.

Why Are People Choosing Cannabis?

In areas with medical marijuana, opioid prescriptions are less common. This could be in part because of the cannabidiol in cannabis can help reduce the cravings for opioids that drive so many people to use them. Both THC and CBD has shown in studies that they can help relieve pain, and the lack of danger behind this alternative treatment has become overwhelmingly attractive to the public.

It’s exciting that people are choosing an alternative to opioids because of the risks involved with utilizing this potent and powerful drug. With addiction, overdose, and an easily gained tolerance, opioids are seeming like an archaic form of treatment. While it is still a valid option for extreme cases, the argument is whether or not it should be offered to patients as often as it is.

Cannabis Isn’t Killing People

The risks and side effects of cannabis do exist. However, they aren’t killing people. There have been no reports of a fatal overdose when consuming cannabis, opposed to the 19,413 deaths caused by synthetic opioids in 2016.

CBD Has No Risk Of Addiction Or Gained Tolerance

The cannabidiol (CBD) in cannabis has also shown that it isn’t addictive, and the way it interacts with your brain doesn’t let you grow a tolerance to it. This is a fascinating discovery considering that many people have to take more and more painkillers because of their tolerance and addiction. This is not just about saving money, but this alternative could save lives.

When people who were taking opioids were given cannabis as a treatment, the majority of them said they would no longer be taking painkillers and decided to use cannabis alone. This suggests that cannabis is just as good, if not better than the opioid painkillers prescribed.

Are you using cannabis instead of painkillers? Do you use both? We would love to hear about it in the comment section below!