A new study found that medical marijuana is “similarly effective” as opioids at treating chronic, non-cancer pain. The researchers concluded that weed may be a safer pain alternative, with fewer discontinuations due to adverse events.
The study, published this month in the journal BMJ Open, analyzed data from 22,028 patients over 90 trials. It found medical marijuana showed “little to no difference” compared to opioids when it came to pain relief, sleep quality and physical functioning.
However, the study’s authors note that there are a number of areas in which cannabis is a safer alternative. In a clinical setting, marijuana had fewer adverse events than opioids that led to doctors halting the treatment.
Most notably, weed use has never been fatal.
“Cannabis does not cause respiratory depression which can result from opioids consumption and lead to non-fatal or fatal overdose,” the authors wrote.
The study points out that both medical marijuana and opioids only provide benefits for a minority of patients compared to placebos, and the benefits are less than spectacular. According to the study, patients using either drug experience one point of pain improvement on a 10-point scale.
“However, reviews of patient values and preferences show that people living with chronic pain place a high value on the possibility of achieving small but important pain relief,” they wrote.
States Expunged Millions of Records
Since 2018, states have expunged or sealed the criminal records of 2.3 million cannabis offenders.
According to a report from marijuana advocacy group NORML, two-dozen states—including New Mexico—have enacted explicit legislation expediting and facilitating expungements for weed-related crimes.
NORML estimates that 29 million local-level marijuana-related arrests have been made in the U.S. since 1965. According to its analysis, nearly 90 percent of those arrests were for simple possession.
“Our sense of justice and our principles of fairness demand that public officials and the courts move swiftly to right the past wrongs of cannabis prohibition and criminalization,” said NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano in a news release.
Sunland Park, “Little Amsterdam”
The New York Times recently called Sunland Park New Mexico’s “Little Amsterdam.”
Last week, the media giant highlighted booming cannabis sales in the small town near the Texas border, pointing out that most of those purchases are being made by Texans living in El Paso—only a short drive away.
Despite having a population of only 17,000 residents, Sunland Park is second in state marijuana sales only to Albuquerque, the state’s most populated urban center with more than 562,000 residents. The small town reportedly has 16 dispensaries with more on the way.
Since adult-use marijuana sales began in New Mexico in April 2022, Sunland park has made $49,269,199 from recreational sales, according to state data.