New York recently allowed medical marijuana to be used as an alternative to prescribed opioids to combat the opioid epidemic, according to Iohud.
"The opioid epidemic in New York State is an unprecedented crisis, and it is critical to ensure that providers have as many options as possible to treat patients in the most effective way, " Howard Zucker, MD, state health commissioner, told Iohud. "As research indicates that marijuana can reduce the use of opioids, adding opioid use as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana has the potential to help save countless lives across the state."
New York state fits the ongoing trend of governmental actions substituting opioid use with medical marijuana, despite little scientific evidence, which is one of the key reasons many New York physicians show reluctance to the new program.
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