To examine the associations between must-query prescription monitoring programs and the legalization of cannabis supply on opioid overdose deaths in U.S. counties from 2013-2020.
Key Findings:
Must-query PDMPs were associated with an average of 0.8 additional opioid-involved overdose deaths per 100,000 person-years (statistically significant).
Legal cannabis supply was not independently associated with opioid overdose deaths during the study period.
Must-query PDMPs in the presence of legal cannabis supply were linked to 0.7 more opioid-involved deaths compared to those without legal cannabis (statistically significant).
Interpretation:
Stricter opioid prescribing policies and cannabis legalization did not correlate with reduced opioid overdose death rates, particularly as overdoses are increasingly driven by nonprescribed opioids, suggesting a need for policy reevaluation.
Limitations:
The study may not account for all confounding factors influencing overdose rates, such as socioeconomic status and access to addiction treatment.
Findings are limited to the specific time frame and geographic scope of the analysis, which may not be generalizable.
Conclusion:
The study suggests that current opioid regulation and cannabis legalization policies may not effectively reduce opioid overdose mortality rates.
by Magdalena Cerdá, Katherine Wheeler-Martin, Emilie Bruzelius, Christine M Mauro, Stephen Crystal, Corey S Davis, Samrachana Adhikari, Julian Santaella-Tenorio, Katherine M Keyes, Kara E Rudolph, Deborah Hasin, Silvia S Martins
