The Alternative Opioids Act

OAK PARK, IL — An Illinois senator has proposed a bill that would address the opioid epidemic by trading pills for pot. Senator Don Harmon (D-Oak Park) has proposed the Alternatives to Opioids Act, a bill that would permit people addicted to opioids, or those who take prescription opiates, to instead get a doctor’s prescription for medical marijuana. Harmon’s bill proposes that approved medical marijuana applications be expedited and be made available within 14 days. The prescription for medical marijuana would be valid for one year.

The Trump administration ignores the opioid epidemic and along with the recent data that proves legalizing medical marijuana can treat addiction and save lives. A recent study by Aclara Research reported that 87 percent of pharmacists said that medical cannabis should be legalized and that traditional pharmacies should carry it. The study consisted of 500 pharmacists and 400 patients. Two of three patients said that they were able to completely switch from pharmaceutical drugs to marijuana, more proof that marijuana can safely be substituted for lethal drugs.