CLEVELAND — The opioid epidemic continues to rage.
According to the CDC, 2022 had the most overdose deaths in history with more than 110,000. Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Dr. Tom Gilson says the county is on course for another tragic record year.
Thirty-eight states (including Ohio) have already approved medical marijuana, but now Ohioans will decide if they want to be the 24th state (along with Washington, D.C.) to allow recreational use.
Could marijuana curb opioid deaths? Research is mixed.
Studies found some states saw opioid overdoses decline initially, but the impact lessened after six months. Another study found counties that had two or more dispensaries had a 21% decrease in opioid deaths.
But those on the front lines are concerned that today's marijuana, which has much higher levels of THC, comes with its own set of issues.
"The amount is much higher than we saw 30, 40 years ago, and that means that there are additional risks, particularly risks of psychosis, of developing delusions and hallucinations that don't go away when the effects of the drug go away and can last an entire person's a person's entire life," Dr. David Streem, medical director of the Addiction and Recovery Center at Cleveland Clinic Lutheran Hospital, said.
Studies show younger users were more likely to have Cannabis Associated Psychotic Symptoms, or CAPS, than adults. Streem is also concerned about exposure to children.
"Brains develop until the age of 26, and people who are exposed to cannabis below the age of 14 have a much, much, much higher risk compared to the general population of developing a substance use disorder by the time they're 21," he explained. "So, definitely exposure in kids is super important to prevent."