Pubdate: Thu, 23 Jul 2015
Source: Buffalo News (NY)
Copyright: 2015 The Buffalo News
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/GXIzebQL
Website: http://www.buffalonews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/61
Author: Robert Sharpe

NEW YORK SHOULD LEGALIZE MARIJUANA AND SAVE LIVES

Regarding the July 13 News editorial, "Congress has an obligation to 
improve treatment options for opiate addictions," legislators are going 
to have to think outside of the drug war box if they are serious about 
reducing prescription painkiller and heroin overdose deaths.

Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 
shows that states with open medical marijuana access have a 25 percent 
lower opioid overdose death rate than marijuana prohibition states. 
States with well-established open access showed a 33 percent reduction 
in overdose deaths. This research finding has huge implications for 
states like New York that are grappling with opioid overdose deaths.

The medical marijuana program approved by Gov. Andrew Cuomo is too 
restrictive to have an impact. New York can and should do better.

The phrase "if it saves one life" has been used to justify all manner of 
drug war abuses. Legal marijuana access has the potential to save 
thousands of lives.

Robert Sharpe, MPA

Policy Analyst

Common Sense for Drug Policy
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