The cannabis industry has matured into the fastest-growing sector ever witnessed by humanity. During the same time as the rise of legal cannabis, prescription medication abuse has skyrocketed through the roof. Opioid (or opiate) abuse has become a leading cause of death in the United States. Cannabis is helping combat opioid misuse.

The contemporary state of opiate misuse

Opiate abuse (or opioid abuse) is a predicament that is not only widespread in the United States but has grown into a global scourge in its power. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, generally recognized as the CDC, the deaths associated with opioid abuse have only diminished ever so insignificantly. During the last two years, deaths related to prescription medication abuse have only decreased by a measly 2%. During the 1990s, the root of an increase in opiate-related hospitalizations and deaths was attributed to the mismanagement of prescription drugs such as Percocet and Vicodin. The subsequent surge in opiate abuse would appear in the mid-2000s and early 2010s. This wave of damage has been linked to the abuse of heroin in the United States. The most recent wave would only get more harmful as fake drugs like carfentanil, or Fentanyl, a medicine that is 1000x more powerful than heroin, were the offender. The adversaries of the last two waves of opioid abuse are still evident today. Consumers left out of the loop on the drug are hospitalized and crumbling due to Fentanyl being mixed and classified as other conventional prescription drugs such as Oxycontin. The reality is: those cutting the drugs are not good with math and science. Unfortunately, it costs people their lives.

Cannabis and brain functionality

For the last twenty years, the medical community has become attentive to the idea of long-term brain damage. This is exceptionally evident in active and retired professional athletes. One of the more outstanding matters is that of CTE or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and how it affects contact sports athletes (i.e., NFL players, boxers, UFC fighters.) Despite this, research has shown that bud consumption can guard neurons in the brain. Cannabis can also improve brain function as well as flexibility. In theory, cannabis use can help those who suffer from short-term and long-term brain injuries, utilizing cannabis as a natural remedy. Furthermore, the 2020-21 NFL season marks the inaugural year that professional giants such as the NFL and NBA are allowing cannabis use (under very stringent scrutiny) to contend with opiate addiction and promote improved brain function. 

Why cannabis is a sufficient alternative to opioids

As the opiate disaster continues to run unchecked across the United States, consumers are constantly looking for alternative healing methods for pain relief. Additionally, patients are becoming more aware of using cannabis for pain relief to avoid the misuse of opioids. This also holds for consumers who are trying to stop using drugs such as Vicodin and Oxycontin. Per studies, bud has shown encouraging results in a litany of studies as being a suitable anti-inflammatory. Cannabis can grant patients relief from mild to even critical levels of bodily pain. This means that consumers have a chance to ward off drug addiction by appropriating the anti-inflammatory effects that are often associated with cannabis use. 

Aside from bud, municipalities have employed a few measures to ward off the plague of drug addiction. One such place in Oregon. The Beaver State was the first state in history to decriminalize the use of harsh drugs, including the opioids mentioned above, in 2020. This was created as a harm reduction method; citizens believe that by eliminating the taboo and offenses associated with opioids, victims are more likely to seek help for addiction. Although it is too early to say with certainty, Oregon provides a one-of-a-kind method to combat opioid abuse.