MINOT — A new study that reverses thought on the benefits of medical marijuana in preventing opioid deaths is evidence more cannabis research is needed, says one of the sponsors of the measure that legalized medical marijuana in North Dakota.
A paper describing the new study was published online June 10 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine found legalizing medical marijuana doesn’t reduce the rate of fatal opioid overdoses.
That’s counter to a 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association that found lower rates of fatal opioid overdoses in states where medical marijuana was legal. States with medical cannabis laws had a 24.8% lower annual opioid overdose mortality rate compared with states without medical cannabis laws.
The 2014 study has been touted by supporters of legalized marijuana and others as a reason for legalization.
Anita Morgan of Fargo, a lead sponsor of North Dakota’s medical marijuana measure, approved by voters in 2016, said the study’s findings were among advocacy points cited in pushing for passage. She’s not convinced those findings should be totally dismissed by the latest research but supports further research to better understand the medical benefits of marijuana.
“It’s under-funded, under-researched, hidden in the sand. It’s time for the federal regulators to wake up, smell the coffee, reschedule it and get some research done,” she said.
Marijuana is classified by the federal government as a Schedule I drug, indicating it has high potential for abuse with no accepted use in medicine. That classification discourages research and can hinder access to funding.
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