20-Year Australian Study Found Marijuana May Not Be an Effective Long-Term Method of Reducing Harm for Those with an Opioid Use Disorder
(WASHINGTON, DC) – A 20-year study out of Australia, recently published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, has found “no evidence to suggest cannabis reduces illicit opioid use, and it may not be an effective long-term method of reducing harm for those with an opioid use disorder or problematic use of opioids.” Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) President Dr. Kevin Sabet, a former drug policy advisor to Presidents Obama, Bush and Clinton, issued the following statement in response to the study:
“The pot industry’s narrative continues to collapse. The fact that so many states allow opioid dependence/or opioid substitution as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana, even though that claim is repeatedly proven false by a substantial amount of evidence, shows how free the industry is allowed to roam in so-called ‘legal’ states. Pot profiteers have peddled the myth that marijuana and THC drug products are ‘medicine’ and beneficial for users. This latest study confirms our long-held belief, that the industry is focused on putting profits over people, not true science and medical data. Americans are being sold a lie that is making communities across the nation less safe and millions more dependent on drugs.
“Instead of trying to hook a new generation of users on another mind-altering substance, we should be prioritizing evidenced-based prevention that discourages use of all drugs, creating effective and robust treatment systems, and holding those profiting off this crisis accountable for the pain and suffering they’ve caused.”