Last week, President Trump declared the nation’s opioid crisis a national emergency, saying, “We’re going to spend a lot of time, a lot of effort, and a lot of money on the opioid crisis.”
Governors in four states including Arizona, Florida, Maryland, and Virginia have previously declared emergencies.
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The data on the issue is clear: the United States is experiencing an epidemic of drug overdose deaths. Since 2000, the rate of deaths from drug overdoses has increased 137 percent, including a 200 percent increase in the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids (such as pain relievers and heroin).
The opioid crisis has erupted at such an intense rate that bureaucrats at the state, local, and federal level can’t keep up.
Here’s where things get interesting: research is now underway that will study medical marijuana’s impact on opioid abuse, specifically its positive benefits for individuals suffering from the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is funding the first-ever, long-term study to research the impacts of medical marijuana on opioid use.
The NIH has awarded researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System a five-year, $3.8 million grant to conduct the study.
Many have characterized marijuana as a “gateway drug” for harder substances, but this study will examine if it can be used as a gateway out of hard drugs.
Dr. Chinazo Cunningham, associate chief of general internal medicine at Einstein and Montefiore, said, “There is a lack of information about the impact of medical marijuana on opioid use in those with chronic pain.”
Researchers have never studied, in any population, if the use of medical marijuana over time reduces the use of opioids.
“As state and federal governments grapple with the complex issues surrounding opioids and medical marijuana, we hope to provide evidence-based recommendations that will help shape responsible and effective healthcare practices and public policies,” Dr. Cunningham noted.
Dr. Cunningham will enroll 250 HIV-positive and HIV-negative adults with chronic pain, who use opioids and have also received certification from their physicians to use medical marijuana, provided through approved dispensaries in New York State.
The grant is titled “Does medical cannabis reduce opioid analgesics in HIV+ and HIV- adults with pain?”
