Midwest Compassion Center Medical Marijuana Dispensary provides statistics on opiate abuse. Recent data indicates medical cannabis can be an effective substitute for dangerous opiate drugs.

1. The Impact of
Opiate Addiction
The World Health Organization
estimates that approximately 2 million
people in the US alone are addicted to
prescription opiates.
50%
More than half of all teens
agreed that prescription drugs
are easier to get than illegal
drugs
40%
Almost 40% of teens don’t
perceive any great risk in
trying heroin once or twice
30%
3 in 10 teens believe that
prescription pain relievers
are not addictive
are just as prevalent,
and just as dangerous
is the most widely
used illegal opiate
HEROIN PRESCRIPTION
opiate painkillers
The problem is not limited
to the medical community,
first use of an opiate seems
to be getting younger
The total number of opiate
prescriptions dispensed by retail
pharmacies in the US rose from
1 of 12
3 OUT OF 4 15,500 Deaths
have used prescription drugs
for nonmedical reasons at least
once in their lifetime
52
20%
million
people
of those age 12
and older
high school seniors reported past-year
nonmedical use of the prescription
pain reliever Vicodin
Narcotic pain relievers now cause or contribute to nearly
Prescription Drug overdoses and about
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1991 2010
76million 210million
Opiate
prescriptions
dispensed
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