In States With Medical Marijuana, Painkiller Deaths Drop by 25%

By Douglas Main
Filed: 8/25/14 at 4:08 PM | Updated: 8/25/14 at 6:02 PM

Filed Under: Tech & Science, Marijuana, Medical marijuana, Drug Overdoses
America has a major problem with prescription pain medications like Vicodin and OxyContin. Overdose deaths from these pharmaceutical opioids have approximately tripled since 1991, and every day 46 people die of such overdoses in the United States.

However, in the 13 states that passed laws allowing for the use of medical marijuana between 1999 and 2010, 25 percent fewer people die from opioid overdoses annually.

http://www.newsweek.com/states-medical-marijuana-painkiller-deaths-drop-25-266577