A new study from the University of Oregon revealed that areas located within a mile radius of a dispensary experience lower prescription rates for opioids.
Researchers used data from the Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division and analyzed the number of opioid prescriptions from 2014 to 2017, finding that places that were within one mile of a licensed dispensary had prescription opioid rates ranging from 1% to 3.9% lower than nearby communities.
Authored by Steven J. Dundas, an associate professor at University of Oregon, and Jason Beasley, a former student of Dundas and associate professor at the University of Michigan, the study aimed to explore how mortality and prescription rates of opioids relate to the number of licensed dispensaries in a given area.
Areas that were located between one and four miles from a dispensary saw higher rates of opioid prescriptions; a pattern that continued as the distance from a dispensary in a particular community increased. Areas that were over 10 miles from a licensed dispensary continued to see higher rates of opioid prescriptions.
While the study found comparable links to lower prescription rates and state-operated dispensaries, no connection to a decrease in opioid-related deaths was found.
“Results suggest that communities located closer to recreational dispensaries are associated with lower rates of prescription opioids per capita,” the study said.
“We also show that reasonable bounds to our primary specification suggest communities located within a mile from a recreational dispensary have prescription opioid rates per capita that are 1 to 3.9% lower than surrounding communities. Despite the reduction, we find no evidence that reducing barriers to cannabis access and subsequent declines in prescription opioids are associated with meaningful changes in opioid mortality.”
However, other studies have explored this topic further. In 2017, preliminary data published in the American Journal of Public Health found opioid deaths decreased by 6% following the legalization of recreational cannabis in Colorado. And recently, a study conducted by the University of Arizona found substantial pain-relieving properties in cannabis terpenes when compared to morphine.
In conjunction with previous research pertaining to cannabis as an alternative to opioids, the results of this study are promising, and […]
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