By Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporter
Health Day Reporter
WEDNESDAY, April 20, 2022 (HealthDay News) – When people have legal access to marijuana, they are less likely to take certain prescription drugs, new research suggests.
The US states where recreational marijuana is legal have seen sharp declines in the use of prescription drugs for pain, depression, anxiety, sleep, psychosis and seizures, the researchers found.
“These results have important implications,” said study co-author Shyam Raman. He is a PhD student at the School of Public Policy at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
“The reductions in drug use we find could lead to significant cost savings for Medicaid state programs. The results also indicate an opportunity to reduce the harm that can come with the dangerous side effects associated with some prescription drugs. Raman said at a university. Press release.
For the study, the researchers looked at data from US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services collected from all states from 2011 to 2019, when there was an increase in states allowing personal marijuana use.