Canadian CANNAINVESTOR Magazine August / September 2017 | Page 178

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We anticipate the field of canna-binoid medicine will continue to evolve through high quality research studies. We are starting to ask clinical questions about what strains work best, for what conditions, in what patients. Can cannabinoids replace other pharm-aceuticals and do a more effective job, or reduce the risks of other drugs? Our first reported study was an observational study on the changes in benzodiazepine use with the use of medical cannabis. We were pleased to see that a significant 40% of patients who were prescribed medical cannabis to treat pain and anxiety eliminated benzodiazepines within 90 days. The percentage increased to 45% within a year of cannabis treatment. Many organizations in the United States and Canada have published guidelines suggesting that benzo-diazepines are being over-prescribed and are dangerous in combination with opiates. Together these two drugs arecontri-buting to tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths in North America every year. With the introduction of cannabis programs many are ex-pecting reductions in overdoses from these medications. It is this type of research that is needed to help solve the opiate/benzo crisis in North America and perhaps prevent similar issues from arising in the future.