Fentanyl Is Officially The USA’s Deadliest Drug (And Cannabis The Safest)

Fentanyl Is Officially The USA’s Deadliest Drug (And Cannabis The Safest)

A new government report just confirmed that fentanyl is indeed the deadliest drug in the United States. The latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics reveal that fentanyl overdoses jumped an alarming 113% yearly, from 2013 to 2016, and in 2016 alone there were 63,632 deaths from drug overdoses.

The report, released on Wednesday, assessed death certificates for overdoses from 2011 to 2016. Fentanyl was responsible for almost 29% of all overdose-related deaths for 2016, and in 2011 it accounted for just 4% of fatalities. Back then, oxycodone made up for 13% of all deadly drug overdoses.

Heroin was the most common perpetrator for overdose deaths from 2012 to 2015, while in 2011 fatal heroin overdoses made up for 4,571 deaths, or 11% of fatalities. That figure increased more than threefold in 2016, resulting in 15,961 fatalities, which accounted for a quarter of all drug-related overdoses in the same year.

The study’s authors discovered that most overdoses were caused by mixing more than one drug. For example, in 2016, 2 in every 5 cocaine overdoses were found to also involve fentanyl, while 1/3 of fentanyl overdoses also included heroin. Over 20% of fatal meth overdoses included heroin as well.

These disturbing figures point to the excessive prescription of painkillers from doctors, say experts, which have contributed greatly to the opioid crisis. In the beginning it was a heroin crisis, and now it’s a fentanyl epidemic. Although opioids are involved in most drug overdose deaths, there has also been a rise in meth and cocaine-related fatalities. From 2014 to 2016, cocaine-related deaths almost doubled from 5,892 to 11,316.

The study’s authors utilized text analysis for the death certificate evaluations to find certain mentions of the drug. It was discovered that the top 10 drugs within the 6-year time period were the same, and all belonged to three drug categories: opioids including fentanyl as well as heroin, methadone, oxycodone, morphine, and hydrocodone; benzodiazepines including diazepam and alprazolam; and stimulants including meth and coke.

They also found that prescription drugs were more likely associated with suicidal overdoses while illegal drugs such as heroin and fentanyl were the top causes for accidental overdoses.

Cannabis-Related Deaths: ZERO

Figures for opioid-related deaths only continue to soar, while still, there hasn’t been one documented case of a cannabis related death or overdose. The DEA acknowledges this: “Nearly all medicines have toxic, potentially lethal effects. But marijuana is not such a substance. There is no record in the extensive medical literature describing a proven, documented cannabis-induced fatality,” says the DEA Administrative Law Judge ruling.

“By contrast aspirin, a commonly used, over-the-counter medicine, causes hundreds of deaths each year,” reads the ruling.

Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more powerful than morphine. This potent analgesic is typically prescribed to patients suffering from extreme and chronic pain. However, cannabis can and should be used as a safer alternative to fentanyl, because it has been proven to treat pain effectively, naturally, and without any side effects.

A growing body of research as well as countless anecdotal evidence only points to the fact that cannabis is indeed helpful for pain. Whether you’re suffering from the occasional headache or have a more serious underlying condition, cannabis can be used to treat it. Some of the most common types of chronic pain are headaches, lower back pain, cancer pain, postsurgical pain, arthritis, and post-trauma pain. The American Academy of Pain Medicine estimates that around 1.5 billion people all over the world suffer from chronic pain, and it’s also the most common contributor to long-term disabilities within the United States alone, with 100 million Americans affected.

To put it simply, cannabis overdoses are IMPOSSIBLE. The DEA says that you’ll need to consume around 1,500 pounds of cannabis within minutes in order to reach the lethal dose. That’s around 20,000-40,000 times the quantity found in your average joint. On the other hand, the lethal doses of commonly abused drugs are much more deadly: around 30 standard drinks for alcohol (which is 100% legal), 40 tylenol pills, 50 cups of caffeine (also completely legal), and 40 pills for Xanax.

The lethal dose for fentanyl is just 80mg, which equates to a small pinch of salt!!!