Opioid Prescriptions Lower In States With Legal Cannabis

A pair of recently released studies found that in states that allow medical cannabis or recreational cannabis, opioid prescriptions for adults covered by Medicaid or Medicare Part D were lower than those states that outlaw cannabis entirely. In the first study, Medicaid opioid prescribing rates fell by 5% to 6% in states with adult-use marijuana laws. In the second, Medicare Part D opioid prescribing rates fell by 13%.

The findings about Medicaid opioid prescriptions were reported in “Association of Medical and Adult-Use Marijuana Laws With Opioid Prescribing for Medicaid Enrollees” by Hefei Wen, Ph.D., and Jason M . . .