Study Finds Drop In Prescription Drugs In Medical Marijuana States

[workinclasszero]

Study Finds Drop In Prescription Drugs In Medical Marijuana States
They also saw $165.2 million in Medicare savings.
Nina Golgowski Trends reporter, The Huffington Post
07/24/2016

States looking for a way to reduce Medicare spending and prescription drug use may want to turn to legalizing medical marijuana, a new study suggests.

The District of Columbia and the 17 states that had medical marijuana as an alternative to prescription drugs in 2013 saved an estimated total of $165.2 million in Medicare program and enrollee spending that year, researchers at the University of Georgia reported in the journal Health Affairs this month.

“The results suggest that if all states had implemented medical marijuana the overall savings to Medicare would have been around $468 million,” a press release on the findings stated.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/medical-pot-slashed-medicare-spending_us_5794dfc0e4b0d3568f8395de

[tonyt53]

1. They are just too buzzed to go get their refills.

[FrodosPet]

4. And when it is Easter

They can hide their own eggs.

"Wanna go find the Easter eggs?"
"Nah, Superbad is on. And Pineapple Express is on afterwards."
"Cool! Can you grab me a beer and a hot pocket while you're in the kitchen?"
"I'm not in the kitchen"
"Oh, OK, I'll order pizza then."
"Can you get Hawaiian?"
"Hell no! We only eat American pizza here."

[Bluenorthwest]

5. It's actually a serious issue, there has also been a large drop in overdoes deaths and

in current politics opiate abuse and overdoses are a huge issue, one of the leading subjects at tonight's DNC. So we have politicians who stand up to say 'we must find a way to reduce opiate use and overdoses by at least 15%' when the States with legal cannabis have already seen such decreases. We have already found a way to reduce those deaths and addictions. It's already in practice, but politicians still say 'we must find a way' and then they say we need to eventually think about maybe having a conversation about thinking about having a committee look at medical cannabis at sometime in the future. Then they weep about opiate abuse a bit more.
It's time for actual action. People's lives are being ruined, those who need access to opiates are deprived safe use while others abuse them even unto death. We know how to instantly reduce that harm and it is immoral not to do so.

[workinclasszero]

8. Great post!

Glad to see people understanding that Big Pharma and many pols as well are blocking a safe and natural alternative to terrible opiates because $$$!

[0rganism]

12. yep, us medical marijuana users are just way too stoned to get our prescriptions

i mean, with all that medmar it's super hard to remember to give myself those 3xweekly injections that leave a huge bruise on my skin for 2-3 days, really hilarious stuff there, forgetting those injections is really funny stuff.
if the prescription meds weren't so expensive, i'd probably forget about them altogether, right?

[LonePirate]

2. Pharma companies will now strongly oppose marijuana initiatives/bills in states.

They will protect their profit margins any way they possibly can.

[Bluenorthwest]

3. They have always been doing that, they basically are the opposition to cannabis reform.

nt

[alittlelark]

7. Along with the liquor industry... n/t

[workinclasszero]

11. Yes

if marijuana was legal many people would give up alcohol I bet.

I'm sure the manufacturers of these products understand that too.

[workinclasszero]

9. I'm sure you are

right about that.

[Iggo]

10. They always have.

[rickford66]

6. Some savings because insurance doesn't cover it.

You have to pay cash. Total cost may not have changed much. My wife is on it.