This week from Medical Marijuana, Inc. CEO Dr. Stuart Titus:<\/p>\n
Cannabis Answers the Call \u2013<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Patients Are Paying Out-Of-Pocket for MMJ vs Rx Drugs<\/span><\/p>\n 2. Opioid Painkiller Crisis<\/span><\/p>\n Like many of our weekly news headlines, this week featured more news and revelation regarding our opioid abuse crisis. \u00a0Having been a practicing Physiotherapist I dealt with patients and their pain issues on a daily basis. \u00a0I have been amazed throughout my career at the number of athletes who were using cannabis in injury rehab to control pain and inflammation issues. \u00a0This began my inquiry into the potential medicinal aspects of cannabinoids and certainly changed my opinion on cannabis. <\/span><\/p>\n What I always remember from my college days is how many of my colleagues were such huge cannabis proponents. \u00a0Back then there was not much standardization, supply was irregular, and one never really knew what they were getting in their cannabis. \u00a0Today, the younger generation also has numerous cannabis supporters, and many of these really make it as much a science as a passion. \u00a0There is\u00a0a huge variety of cannabis strains, of extraction techniques for oils, and of potential effects these products have on the body.<\/span><\/p>\n Looking at recent state-wide legislation, Pennsylvania now allows for 18 different medical indications and Ohio 21. \u00a0This will keep medical science busy for the next 100 years in examining the potential aspects of cannabis for these many disease indications. \u00a0This week we also saw the results of a study analyzing results going back to 2013 where Medicare Part D was analyzed in states with legal cannabis laws.<\/p>\n The legalization of medical marijuana in an increasing number of US states may be linked to a lower rate of other prescription drugs, this new study shows. \u00a0As reported in Live Science, researchers found an estimated $165.2 million in savings in Medicare spending on prescription drug coverage reimbursement figures within these cannabis-legal states. \u00a0These prescription drugs treat some of the same conditions that are covered by the state\u2019s medical cannabis programs. \u00a0In 2013 data was analyzed from the 17 US states and the District of Columbia where medical cannabis laws were implemented.<\/span><\/p>\n The savings accounted for 0.5 percent of the 2013 budget for Medicare Part D\u2019s prescription drug coverage and showed that people are turning to cannabis as an alternative to other medications. \u00a0Ashley Bradford, a student researcher at University of Georgia (UGA) and the study’s lead author mentioned, \u201cThe results suggest that people are really using cannabis as medicine and just not using it for recreational purposes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The study covered all the nine conditions that were covered by medical cannabis programs: anxiety, depression, glaucoma, nausea, pain, psychosis, seizures, sleep disorders, and spasticity. \u00a0Researchers reviewed all the claims made under Medicare Part D for these same indications. \u00a0Study co-author W. David Bradford, professor of public policy at UGA, mentioned that \u201cright after pain, the most popular google search for marijuana is glaucoma\u201d. \u00a0Since marijuana effects for glaucoma only last an hour, it is unrealistic to believe that patients would use marijuana every hour \u2013 and the data showed that actual prescriptions for glaucoma were higher in these marijuana-friendly states. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Glaucoma was the exception \u2013 as all other indications showed significant decreases in prescriptions drug use. \u00a0As an example, with prescriptions for drugs to treat pain, there were 1,826 fewer daily doses in marijuana-friendly states than in non-marijuana friendly states. \u00a0The average in non-legal states comes to 31,810 daily doses. \u00a0Based on these results, researchers estimated that the Medicare program would have saved close to $500 million ($1\/2 billion) on prescription medications had all US states implemented medical marijuana. <\/span><\/p>\n Ashley Bradford said the study will continue, next by looking at medical marijuana\u2019s effect on Medicaid. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n OPIOID EPIDEMIC:<\/span><\/p>\n This past week, Congress passed Opioid restriction laws that are waiting for President Obama\u2019s signature to fully be put into law. \u00a0The bill is a major attempt to combat the opioid painkiller and heroin epidemic \u2013 and President Obama is expected to sign. \u00a0The Obama Administration earlier this month focused on providing more treatment options to people with opioid abuse disorders. \u00a0Link: <\/span>http:\/\/www.vox.com\/2016\/7\/6\/12101476\/obama-congress-opioids-heroin<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n To illustrate the seriousness of the problem, in 2014 more Americans died of drug overdoses than any other year on record: more than 47,000 deaths with 2\/3 linked to opioids (nearly 32,000). \u00a0This is a similar amount to those who died in car crashes and a similar amount to those who died as a result of gun violence. \u00a0Opioid painkillers kill more Americans than any illegal drug.<\/span><\/p>\n The catch \u2013 it is not clear if Congress will allocate the hundreds of million dollars required to fight this epidemic. \u00a0The White House is forging ahead, hoping to make more forms of treatment available and more accessible \u2013 even if Congress does not approve funds. <\/span><\/p>\n Money for drug abuse programs and treatments is\u00a0truly needed. \u00a0According to 2014 federal data, at least 89% of people who met the definition for a drug abuse disorder did NOT get treatment, largely due to stigma and financial barriers. \u00a0Patients with drug abuse disorders also frequently complain of weeks-or-months long waiting periods for care \u2013 most often due to a severe lack of resources to match demand.<\/span><\/p>\n Since nearly 100 million Americans suffer with pain \u2013 pharmaceutical companies were happy to oblige with pain medications. \u00a0They provided campaigns for doctors to prescribe opioids. When clinics seemed to over-prescribe and research pointed toward underworld abuse, pharma companies remained hushed about their findings.<\/span><\/p>\n Black market sources would obtain thousands of bottles of opioids and either resell them \u2013 or lace then with even stronger hallucinogenic drugs \u2013 and then resell. \u00a0It was a huge, multi-billion-dollar market. \u00a0Link: <\/span>http:\/\/www.salon.com\/2016\/06\/03\/what_big_pharma_doesnt_want_you_to_know_about_the_opioid_epidemic_partner\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Isn\u2019t it time for a new approach\u2026? \u00a0Medical cannabis and cannabinoids have provided an all-natural form of pain relief for centuries. \u00a0NO ONE has ever died from an overdose of botanical cannabis \u2013 but people do die from synthetic marijuana, known as Spice and K-2. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Since marijuana is a botanical, there are virtually no side-effects \u2013 and actually cannabinoids are good for you. \u00a0We all have endogenous cannabinoid systems that need support.<\/span><\/p>\n Already, we are seeing the incidence of prescription drug overdose death 25% LOWER in states where medical cannabis is legal \u2013 presumably because patients are able to combine natural botanical cannabis and use lower dose opioids to control pain. \u00a0<\/span>http:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/states-medical-marijuana-painkiller-deaths-drop-25-266577<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n The Newsweek article goes on to state:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIn the study,\u00a0<\/span>published today<\/span><\/a>\u00a0August 25 in\u00a0<\/span>JAMA Internal Medicine<\/span><\/i>, the researchers hypothesize that in states where medical marijuana can be prescribed, patients may use pot to treat pain, either instead of prescription opiates, or to augment them\u2014and may thus require a lower dosage that is less likely to lead to a fatal problem.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In medical cannabis states, the inclusion of chronic pain as an indication for medicinal cannabis has had a huge impact on the size of the given state\u2019s market. \u00a0In eight markets analyzed where patient usage data is available, pain accounted for more than 64% of all medical cannabis recommendations. \u00a0Conditions like PTSD account for about 4% of all medical cannabis recommendations. \u00a0<\/span>http:\/\/mjbizdaily.com\/chart-of-the-week-most-common-medical-conditions-of-registered-mmj-patients\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n