[NobleFree]

"we estimate that RMLs [recreational marijuana laws] reduce annual opioid mortality in the range of 20%–35%, with particularly pronounced effects for synthetic opioids." - Nathan W. Chan, Jesse Burkhardt, Matthew Flyr. The Effects Of Recreational Marijuana Legalization And Dispensing On Opioid Mortality. Economic Inquiry, 2019; DOI: 10.1111/ecin.12819

[dangus]

The metastudy:

Legalizing marijuana might contribute to a modest reduction in opioid prescriptions. Evidence about the effect of marijuana legalization on opioid overdose mortality is inconsistent and inconclusive. If any, the effectiveness of state marijuana laws in reducing opioid overdose mortality appears to be rather small and limited to states with operational marijuana dispensaries. It remains unclear whether the presumed benefit of legalizing marijuana in reducing opioid-related harms outweighs the policy’s externalities, such as its impact on mental health and traffic safety.

Clearly, the recent data from the CDC sheds additional data to the “inconsistent, inconclusive” present data.