Illinois Doctors Will Soon Be Able To Replace Opioid Prescription With Marijuana

This will be one of the first steps to actively fight the opioid addiction problem here in Illinois. 

At the end of August Governor Bruce Rauner signed a new law that will allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana to patients who already have a prescription to an opioid such as OxyContin or Percocet.

It's not the only solution to the current opioid crisis. The US Senate and House just overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan bill that will divert significant funding towards fighting the epidemic.

BeaumontEnterprise - Technically, the bill amends the state’s Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot Program Act, but its scope is wider than that. Those who wish to use medical marijuana to replace opioids will not have to go through the process of getting fingerprinted or waiting on a background check.

The law will officially go into effect in December of this year and officials think it will take until the new year for a proper system to officially be in place.

Whatever the state can do to reduce the 2,000 opioid deaths in Illinois last year is worth the time and effort.