The American Medical Association recently published two studies showing that states with medical cannabis laws saw decreases in opioid prescription use.

“We see one to two people come into the emergency room on a daily basis seeking help with opioid abuse,” said Dr. Bud Lawrence, medical director of the Emergency Room at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.

The first study found that states prescribed on average 23 million daily doses per year, but that number fell by over 2 million after the passage of medical cannabis laws, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study also noted that daily doses dropped by almost 4 million doses when medical cannabis dispensaries opened for business.

When California passed Proposition 64, legalizing recreational marijuana for adults over the age of 21, the Santa Clarita City Council moved quickly to prevent cannabis businesses from opening within their limits.

The city passed a moratorium within a month of the 2016 election, essentially putting a nearly year-long hold on the new law in order to give staffers time to conduct research on the ramifications.

Once that timeline ran out, the city extended the moratorium and has now begun the process of passing a permanent ordinance that bans commercial land use for cannabis-related businesses.

The ordinance also prohibits individuals from running delivery businesses out of their homes by banning them from acquiring the necessary permit to run a business from home.

While the city cannot ban a resident’s ability to grow up to six plants within their home, the city has placed restrictions on home growth such as prohibiting growth in backyards, balconies, and garages. The ordinance also states that individuals who choose to grow cannabis plants cannot allow the smell to extend past the boundaries of their property.

Related: Santa Clarita City Council Likely To Advance Ordinance On Cannabis

The second study widened their scope to also look at recreational cannabis laws. The scientists responsible for the study found that states saw a 6 percent drop in opioid prescription rates after legalizing recreational cannabis. .

“A lot of our young people start with opioid prescriptions given to them or a family member or a friend,” said Larry Schallert, Assistant Director of the Student Health and Wellness Center at COC. “They start to get addicted and eventually it becomes too expensive, so they move to heroin as a cheaper alternative.”

Some critics claim that while opioid prescriptions may be down, people still get their drugs illegally. Also, this may create a problem with abuse of cannabis.

“There’s lots of efficacy to medical marijuana in some places,” says Bob Sharits, the Program Director and Community Outreach Specialist for The Way Out Recovery SCV, an organization dedicated to helping clients deal with drug and alcohol abuse. “The problem is a lot of people with medical cards are taking advantage of it.”

Sharits admitted that some individuals struggling with opioid withdrawal can find relief in their symptoms through cannabis, but was reluctant to endorse the practice.

“Whenever you’re using one drug to get off another drug, you’re getting into dangerous territory,” warns Sharits. “You risk addiction to another drug and you don’t develop new healthy coping skills.”

In 2014, the Journal of the American Medical Association released a report claiming that between 1999 and 2010, states with medical cannabis laws saw 25 percent less opioid overdoses.

Lawrence insists that, “If you are given the opportunity to avoid opioid medications and are able to achieve reasonable pain control through other methods, you should take that opportunity. Opiates are very challenging for patients to deal with. They are at the mercy of this medicine, running from doctor to doctor. In many instances these medications are dangerous, people are overdosing and ruining their lives.”

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