Over a Million Reasons Why the U.S. Should Fully Legalize Marijuana Now

Chronic pain expert says full legalization would help prevent many opioid overdoses because marijuana is never fatal and is superior to opioids for pain relief

ALBANY, NEW YORK, USA, September 7, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ — Over a million Americans have now died of drug overdoses since 1999, with about 780,000 deaths involving opioids. Americans continue to die of opioid overdoses at an average rate of 213 a day. That’s the equivalent of about two 9/11’s a month. In addition, millions more have become addicted.

According to chronic pain expert Cindy Perlin, LCSW, that constitutes over a million reasons why the federal government should fully legalize marijuana right now. “In over 5000 years of recorded use, no overdose deaths from marijuana have ever been reported”, says Perlin, “and there is significant evidence that marijuana is superior to opioids as a pain reliever”. Perlin is the founder and CEO of the online Alternative Pain Treatment Directory, which provides information and resources for safe, effective pain relief. Perlin points out that most experts now agree that marijuana is not a gateway drug. “It’s very clear that the real gateway drugs are prescription opioids because they lead to the need for higher and higher doses due to tolerance, and then, for many, to even more dangerous street drugs like fentanyl. On the other hand, marijuana is opioid sparing. There’s evidence that, when taken with opioids, they prevent the development of tolerance and many pain patients can stop using opioids after using marijuana.”

The Biden administration’s recent recommendation to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to loosen some restrictions by moving marijuana from a Schedule I drug (drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse) to Schedule III (drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence) would loosen restrictions on research and prescribing. However, it would still make it illegal to possess marijuana without a prescription and it would not go far enough to make marijuana readily available to those who could benefit. It’s also out of step with the 38 states and the District of Columbia which have legalized medical marijuana or the 23 states that have legalized recreational use, according to Perlin.

Marijuana legal advocacy group NORML wants marijuana removed completely from the Controlled Substance Act. As NORML Deputy Director Paul Amentano has stated, “Tobacco and alcohol are not in the Controlled Substances Act. Those substances are well recognized to pose far greater hazards to health than cannabis.” And, adds Perlin, “Alcohol and tobacco, unlike marijuana, have no medical benefits.”

Perlin urges readers to check out the Alternative Pain Treatment Directory for more information on the health benefits of medical marijuana, as well as information on many other safe, effective pain treatments. The Directory also has listings of alternative healthcare providers who provide pain treatment and recommended natural pain relief products.

Cindy Perlin
Alternative Pain Treatment Directory
+1 518-439-6431
[email protected]
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