|
|
(HealthNewsDigest.com) – SCRANTON, Pa., April 24, 2017 — Scranton law firm The Slocum Firm, PC, today released a white paper entitled “The Utilization of Cannabis for Pain Relief and Opioid Addiction,” aimed at policy makers, medical providers, and thought leaders. The report discusses the serious individual and public-health problems caused by opioid addiction, and it examines research showing that marijuana is a promising treatment for people addicted to prescription opioid painkillers.
Opioid drugs, including oxycodone and codeine, are widely prescribed for chronic pain and are highly addictive. That is a lethal combination. The problems caused by opioid addiction have created a public health crisis in Pennsylvania and nationwide. In Pennsylvania, deaths from drug overdoses increased 20 percent from 2014 to 2015. Nearly 60 percent of these overdose-related fatalities were caused by opioid use.
Current treatment methods for opioid addiction are not effective, and they can create problems of their own. Methadone, for example, can cause severe chronic pain and may need to be taken for a lifetime. Marijuana provides a way to treat opioid addicts that is safer than current medical treatments and is highly effective. A new program in Massachusetts that uses marijuana to treat opioid addicts has a 75 percent success rate.
Matt and Arianne Slocum said, “We have seen first-hand how opioids can impact accident victims as they look for relief for their pain and they are being harmed a second time by taking these dangerous drugs as prescribed. We hope with this white paper we will show how medical marijuana can be a safe alternative to opioids.”
The white paper covers:
- Opioid use in the U.S. and Pennsylvania
- Causes of opioid addiction
- Using marijuana for pain relief and addiction treatment
- How marijuana can benefit the people of Pennsylvania
The attorneys at The Slocum Firm work with many people who were injured in auto accidents, and they have seen first-hand the harmful effects opioids can have on people who take them to deal with pain. This white paper from the Slocum Firm shows how marijuana can be a safe option for those struggling with pain and addiction.
###