Over one-third of America suffers from chronic pain which coincides with conditions such as weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, and trouble sleeping. The problem with chronic pain is that many people turn to opioids as an escape, which is rather dangerous. Medical marijuana, on the other hand, is a viable alternative to opioids. The largest study on cannabis to date found that medical cannabis is effective at relieving not only chronic pain. Not only is it effective, but it is also highly safe, especially in comparison to opioids. In 2015, 15,000 or more deaths in the U.S. were caused by opioid overdoses alone, marijuana, on the other hand, caused zero deaths.
The opioid overdose epidemic is perhaps compounded by the misleading and often false information that the public has received regarding opioid use. For example, in 2007 three top executives from Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to marketing Oxycontin as a safe alternative and for giving inaccurate information regarding the risks of addiction. Another problem in all of this is that a large percentage of those using opioids (49%) get them from family and friends.
If you have been charged with a drug-related offense in Bergen County (Hackensack), contact Frank T. Luciano. He has almost 40 years experience in defending cases of this type. He is also a lifetime member of NORML’s legal committee.
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