Pubdate: Sun, 26 Oct 2014 Source: Tallahassee Democrat (FL) Copyright: 2014 Tallahassee Democrat Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/hdEs6Z0o Website: http://www.tallahassee.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/444 Author: Robert Sharpe Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v14/n824/a07.html HERE'S ONE MORE BENEFIT OF POT Regarding Gerald Ensley's Oct. 22 column, medical marijuana has beneficial side effects that are particularly relevant to a state famous for pill mills. New 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. This research finding has huge implications for states like Florida that are grappling with prescription narcotic overdoses. 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 Policy analyst, Common Sense for Drug Policy Washington, D.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard