Why Big Pharma May Push Back Against Legal Marijuana

A new study published in Health Affairs, shows that painkiller abuse and overdoses are lower in states where medical marijuana is available.

The study found that in the 17 states where medical marijuana use is permitted, prescriptions for painkillers and other drug classes were significantly lower than in the states where it was not available.

A typical physician in a medical marijuana state prescribed 1,826 fewer doses of painkillers in a given year. Fewer prescriptions means cost savings for Medicare — in total, a reported $165 in the states where medical marijuana is available.

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This has come as a concern for pharmaceutical companies, which are among the leaders of the opposition toward the liberalization of marijuana laws. Big Pharma has funded anti-marijuana organizations, such as the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, and have lobbied federal agencies directly to limit the proliferation of the drug.