Could Recreational Weed Cause Opioid Related Deaths To Fall?

A study conducted by University of North Texas researchers has indicated that opioid-related deaths fell 6.5% after recreational marijuana was legalised in Colorado.

Although you can't assume a causal relationship between the two, it represents a reversal in the 14-year long trend of increased opioid-related deaths in Colorado since 2000.

The study states that: "Colorado's legalization of recreational cannabis sales and use resulted in a 0.7 deaths per month reduction in opioid-related deaths. This reduction represents a reversal of the upward trend in opioid-related deaths in Colorado."

Credit: PA Images

Further research is needed in order to make sure the trends could be seen beyond Colorado, however it's another argument in favour of legalising it.

It comes after another study, from the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that yearly overdose deaths involving opioids were almost 25 percent lower in states with medical marijuana programmes.

Cannabis has been linked to helping those suffering from cancer, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, Crohn's, anxiety, depression, AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, ME, PTSD, Epilepsy, Chronic and neuropathic pain.

The news comes along with increasing calls for the legalisation of cannabis in Britain, with voices outside your typical 'stoner in stained pants watching conspiracy documentaries' trope, including one MP:

Credit: BBC

Lib Dem MP Layla Moran was happy to admit that she may have dabbled in the odd toke of a joint last week.

When asked about her usage at a recent 'cannabis tea party' to legalise medicinal marijuana, she said: "Yes, I went to university! I did inhale, yes I did."

Then poking fun at current Prime Minister Theresa May, she said: "I don't any more, I'm a grown up now, but for god's sake. I've never run in a wheat field, that I can say."

She joined protesters at the tea party were a number of foods had been infused with marijuana, promoting the use of it for medicinal purposes.

Credit: PA Images

Labour MPs Tonia Antoniazzi and Paul Flynn were also in attendance, as their formal bid to legalise medicinal cannabis was introduced to parliament.

Back in July, Greece went ahead and legalised cannabis for medical purposes, joining the Czech Republic, Finland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain, making it the sixth EU member state to legalise it.

Featured Image Credit: PA Images

Topics: UK News, Heroin, Cannabis, weed

James Dawson

James Dawson is a Journalist at LADbible. He has contributed articles to LADbible’s ‘Knowing Me, Knowing EU’ series on the EU referendum, the 'Electoral Dysfunction' series on the 2017 general election, the ‘U OK M8?’ series tackling mental health amongst young men, and for its ‘Climate Change’ initiative in partnership with National Geographic.

@thejaytoday