LePage administration rejects bid to treat opiate addiction with marijuana

[TexasTowelie]

Gov. Paul LePage’s administration has rejected a petition effort to include opiate addiction as a qualifying condition for Maine’s medical marijuana program.

It was floated by activists as a way to stem an opiate crisis that led to a record 272 drug overdose deaths in Maine in 2015, but the Department of Health and Human Services determined that the body of research on the topic remains too thin.

In Maine, medical marijuana can be recommended by doctors for a battery of conditions, including chronic pain, cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder. New conditions can be added by law or petitions from the public.

In January, Dawson Julia, a medical marijuana caregiver from Unity, made the opiate addiction petition. It drew 50 people to a public hearing on the proposal in April, where many said marijuana helped them beat their addiction.

Read more: http://stateandcapitol.bangordailynews.com/2016/07/11/lepage-administration-rejects-bid-to-treat-opiate-addiction-with-marijuana/

[Rhiannon12866]

1. This is very interesting. I have friends who work with addicts, wonder what they would think?

I'll bet they never thought of it since in a lot of cases marijuana is regarded as part of the problem...

[TexasTowelie]

2. The only times that I ever taken opiates

were when I had dental work or severe back pain. I would rarely take any pills after about three days because I quickly realized that I would become depressed when using them. I never had that occur for me with marijuana.

The study cited in the article said that about 75% did not return to the opiates. I'm not aware of any other treatment program or counseling program that is effective--so if everyone had a bong then everyone would get along.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. I was prescribed Tylenol with codeine back in the '90s

I had three surgeries in seven years and the first two didn't cure me, so I was often in pain. At the time, I thought I was addicted since I always ran out early, but I realize now it was because I was in pain. When surgery #3 worked, I wasn't in pain anymore so it wasn't an issue. I'm guessing that different people have different sensitivities and pills aren't necessarily a high risk for me. But then I'm in AA, sober 7 years.

So that's how I have friends who have gone on to work with others. And I've noticed a change in the people needing treatment. More and more people I see are cross addicted, drugs are rarely not part of the picture, prescription pain killers and even heroin now.