Advocates Push to Let Patients Use Marijuana to Treat Opiate Addiction

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On Tuesday, Maine will be the first state to formally consider the idea, even though the federal government still classifies marijuana as an illicit drug.

Medical marijuana caregivers and patients will ask state regulators Tuesday to consider adding opiate addiction as a qualifying condition for medical marijuana.

Maine will be the first state to formally consider allowing medical marijuana to be used as treatment for addiction to opiates and other drugs derived from chemical synthesis, said Dawson Julia, a caregiver from Unity who submitted a petition to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services to request the public hearing.

Julia and other advocates say now is the time to consider using medical marijuana to combat the opiate epidemic that has fueled a sharp rise in overdose deaths from heroin, fentanyl and prescription drugs.

“We clearly have a major public health issue and we don’t currently have a good solution...

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