Thank you for that.
I personally know two people who use marijuana for medical reasons.
Both of them suffer from chronic pain due to orthopedic troubles. One of them became addicted to opiate pain relievers and the other is not able to tolerate them due to the nasty side effects. Marijuana makes life livable for both of them.
Regarding opiate pain medications, I suspect they are over-prescribed because of drug industry pressures and incentives. I am a very big fan of them for terminal illnesses with uncontrolled pain, where addiction and the rising threshold for effectiveness are not a factor, but I have seen too many temporary conditions where the cause of the pain goes away but the opiate does not.
On the other topic, most responsible people know relatively few of those who abuse “medical” marijuana, because we run in different social circles. To assume most users have a real need is to make the same mistake as liberals who do not know anyone who supports Trump and assume the entire country is like the people they know. [Again, I am squeamish about federal drug laws, and I am not supporting the existence of those laws. However, I want the laws we have enforced or repealed, not ignored.]