Sec. 2. Findings
144 words·~1 min read·
/bill/116/s/445/is/section-2A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
Congress finds the following: Chronic pain affects the veteran population, with almost 60 percent of veterans returning from serving in the Armed Forces in the Middle East, and more than 50 percent of older veterans, who are using the health care system of the Department of Veterans Affairs living with some form of chronic pain. Opioids account for approximately 63 percent of all drug deaths in the United States. In 2011, veterans were twice as likely to die from accidental opioid overdoses as nonveterans.
States with medical cannabis laws have a 24.8 percent lower mean annual opioid overdose mortality rate compared with States without medical cannabis laws. Marijuana and its compounds show promise for treating a wide-range of diseases and disorders, including pain management. Medical marijuana in States where it is legal may serve as a less harmful alternative to opioids in treating veterans.