Prescription Opioid Distribution after the Legalization of Recreational Marijuana in Colorado.

ABSTRACT: There have been dynamic changes in prescription opioid use in the US but the state level policy factors contributing to these are incompletely understood. We examined the association between the legalization of recreational marijuana and prescription opioid distribution in Colorado. Utah and Maryland, two states that had not legalized recreational marijuana, were selected for comparison. Prescription data reported to the Drug Enforcement Administration for nine opioids used for pain (e.g., fentanyl, morphine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, oxymorphone) and two primarily for opioid use disorder (OUD, methadone and buprenorphine) from 2007 to 2017 were evaluated. Analysis of the interval pre (2007-2012) versus post (2013-2017) marijuana legalization revealed statistically significant

SUBMITTER: Kropp Lopez AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7246665 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature