opioid crisis and cannabis

Cannabis daily can help people get off opioids (STUDY)

As Donald Trump continues to trudge on in his second term, he's made it abundantly clear that tackling the fentanyl crisis is high on his agenda. The rhetoric is bold and aggressive – promises to go after cartels with military force, threats against drug dealers, and a generally hawkish stance toward drug trafficking. It's the kind of tough talk that plays well to his base, but the question remains: will it actually solve anything?

If we look at his appointments and policy directions, it seems we're heading for War on Drugs 2.0 rather than an innovative approach to a complex problem. History has taught us that you can't simply bomb, arrest, or threaten your way out of drug epidemics. These tactics have been tried for decades with little success.

There is, however, one solution hiding in plain sight that could revolutionize Trump's approach to the opioid crisis – cannabis legalization. Yes, you read that correctly. If Trump were to take the bold step of federally legalizing cannabis, he could potentially cement his legacy as one of the most transformative presidents in modern history.

It sounds counterintuitive at first – fighting drugs with another drug? But the evidence is mounting that cannabis could be a powerful weapon against opioid addiction and overdose deaths. Recent studies are showing promising connections between cannabis use and reduced opioid dependency.

So how exactly would legalizing a plant help combat the deadliest drug crisis in American history? Well, let me tell you!

Cannabis and Opioids

A groundbreaking study published last week in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review has added significant weight to the argument that cannabis could help combat the opioid crisis. The research, conducted by an eight-person team from the British Columbia Centre on Substance Abuse, the University of British Columbia, and Simon Fraser University, examined data from 1,242 people who used drugs while also living with chronic pain.

Their findings were striking: "Participants reporting daily cannabis use exhibited higher rates of cessation compared to less frequent users or non-users." In other words, those who used cannabis every day were more likely to quit using opioids altogether. This effect was particularly pronounced among men, suggesting "potential differences in cannabis use behavior and effects" between sexes.

This isn't an isolated finding. A growing body of research supports the idea that cannabis can serve as an effective substitute for opioids. A federally funded study found that in states with legal marijuana, prescriptions for opioid pain medications dropped significantly among commercially insured adults. Another study discovered that legalizing medical cannabis appeared to significantly reduce payments from opioid manufacturers to doctors specializing in pain management – further evidence that cannabis was replacing prescription painkillers.

Perhaps most compelling is the research linking cannabis legalization to reduced fatal opioid overdoses. One study estimated that recreational marijuana legalization "is associated with a decrease of approximately 3.5 deaths per 100,000 individuals." When you consider that over 107,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2021 alone (with 75% involving opioids), the potential life-saving impact becomes clear.

The opioid crisis has ravaged communities across America, destroying families and costing the economy an estimated $1.5 trillion annually in healthcare costs, criminal justice expenses, and lost productivity. Cannabis legalization offers a multi-pronged solution: it provides a safer alternative for pain management, reduces dependency on opioids, and potentially saves thousands of lives each year.

Beyond addressing the opioid epidemic, legalizing cannabis would create hundreds of thousands of new jobs, generate billions in tax revenue, reduce unnecessary incarcerations (particularly in communities of color), and open up new avenues for medical research and international commerce.

For a businessman-turned-president like Trump, the economic case alone should be compelling. The question is whether he has the vision to seize this opportunity or if he's too beholden to interests that benefit from prohibition – pharmaceutical companies, private prisons, and law enforcement agencies that rely on drug war funding. If he truly wants a slam dunk policy that would address the fentanyl crisis while creating jobs and stimulating the economy, cannabis legalization could be his legacy-defining move.

Grow Your Own Medicine

While we wait for politicians to catch up with science, those suffering from chronic pain or other conditions treatable with cannabis might consider a more immediate solution: growing your own medicine.

Now, let me be crystal clear – I'm not advocating breaking the law. If cannabis is illegal in your state, I don't want you risking arrest and criminal charges. However, speaking personally, if I were suffering from chronic pain and had few options, I might consider a small, discreet grow operation of 2-4 plants. This would be my absolute secret – something I'd never discuss with anyone, ever.

The beauty of growing your own cannabis extends far beyond just having a supply of medicine. There's something profoundly therapeutic about nurturing a plant from seed to harvest. You develop patience, attention to detail, and a deeper connection to the plant medicine you're creating. It's a relationship, not just a transaction.

When you grow your own cannabis, you also know exactly what's in it. No pesticides, no mysterious contaminants – just pure plant medicine cultivated with care. You can select strains specifically bred for your conditions, whether that's pain, anxiety, insomnia, or inflammation. The process puts the power of healing back in your hands.

Beyond the primary flower, home growers can make use of every part of the plant. Fan leaves can be juiced for their non-psychoactive cannabinoid content. Trim can be used to make topicals or edibles. Even the stems can be used to make teas or tinctures. Nothing goes to waste.

There's also a significant cost advantage. A small home grow can produce enough medicine to last months, potentially saving thousands of dollars compared to dispensary prices. For those on fixed incomes or without insurance coverage for their conditions, this economic benefit can't be overstated.

I firmly believe that any meaningful cannabis legalization bill must include provisions for home cultivation. Without the right to grow your own medicine, legalization is merely transferring authority from one controlling entity to another. It's still authoritarianism masquerading as freedom, just with different gatekeepers.

The right to grow is fundamental to true cannabis freedom. It acknowledges the plant for what it is – a natural resource that should be accessible to all, not just those who can afford to purchase it from state-sanctioned vendors. Home cultivation empowers individuals to take control of their own health without excessive dependence on either the black market or corporate cannabis.

While we push for policy change at the federal level, let's not forget that sometimes the most revolutionary act is simply planting a seed.

The Sticky Bottom Line

The evidence is overwhelming: we're facing an unprecedented opioid epidemic that's claiming thousands of American lives every year, and cannabis represents a viable, evidence-based solution to this crisis. The latest research confirming that daily cannabis use can help people quit opioids adds to the mountain of data supporting cannabis as a harm reduction tool.

Yet despite the scientific consensus, I'm not holding my breath for federal action. The sad reality is that most politicians on both sides of the aisle receive substantial funding from industries that benefit directly from cannabis prohibition – pharmaceutical companies pushing their own patented pain medications, private prison corporations dependent on drug offenders to fill beds, and police departments that receive military-grade equipment through drug war budgets.

These entrenched interests have billions of reasons to maintain the status quo, and they've proven remarkably effective at delaying meaningful reform for decades. Even as public opinion has shifted dramatically in favor of legalization, with roughly two-thirds of Americans now supporting it, policy changes creep along at a glacial pace.

Perhaps Trump, with his penchant for disruption and unpredictability, could surprise us all by embracing cannabis reform as part of his anti-fentanyl strategy. It would certainly align with his populist messaging and "America First" economic policies. A thriving legal cannabis industry would create jobs, boost tax revenues, and potentially save countless lives from opioid overdoses.

I can hope for such bold leadership, but I'll continue preparing for the long, slow grind of incremental progress. In the meantime, the opioid crisis rages on, claiming lives that could potentially be saved with a plant that's been used medicinally for thousands of years. If that's not a tragedy of policy failure, I don't know what is.