We have it good in Oregon with Measure 91, but the rest of the US still has a ways to go. Plant prohibitionists remain fond of screaming about the dangers of cannabis, and the feds still have it listed as a Schedule I drug, defined by the following characteristics:

• The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.

• The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical treatment use in the US.

• There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or substance under medical supervision.

Cue eye roll.

Fortunately, a recent study from the Journal of the American Medical Association has opened up some new debate.

The Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania looked at fatal opiate overdoses in states with a medical marijuana program between 1999 and 2010. They found a reduction in opiate-related deaths by nearly 25 percent in the 13 states where cannabis was available for medical use. As time passed, the numbers got even better. After five years with a medical marijuana program in place, states averaged a decrease of nearly 34 percent in drug overdoses, researchers found. The report goes on to say that some people may use cannabis along with opiates, which lowers both their opiate use and potential for fatally overdosing.

The (not fun) facts about opiates? About 60 percent of fatal overdoses occur in people who have a legitimate prescription, and opiate prescriptions written for non-cancer patients have nearly doubled in the past decade.

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